Growing up I followed my grandfather everywhere.  I loved being with him any chance I could get.  He made me laugh.  He taught me valuable lessons and most importantly, he taught me about God.  Despite me disappointing him and hurting him when I decided I was ready to be on my own at 17, he never once stopped loving me.  He never shut me out and always forgave me.  It was as if in his eyes I could do no wrong.  Even if I had already.  The love my grandfather showed me was immeasurable…unconditional.  He never judged or criticized me, nor did he ever hold anything against me.  And when the going got tough, he waited with open arms for me when I’d come crying to him.  This is the kind of love God gives us.  It was until I became an adult that I learned more about God’s undying love.  It didn’t matter how much I ran away from God thinking I could do things on my own, God always waited for me with open arms ready to lift me up and pick up my broken pieces.  God never held it against me what I did in my past or the fact that I continued to hurt Him time and time again.  God loved me anyway.  God forgave me.  God not once stopped showing me mercy and He always showed me unconditional love.  If anything, God didn’t ask a thing of me when He chose to love me.  God loves each and every one of us.  Not one person more than the other.  He loves us all unconditionally and equally.  He doesn’t favor one more than the other.  His love has no bounds and his mercy is everlasting.  It’s until now that I understood the love my grandfather showed me.  It was God’s love radiating through my grandfather to me and everyone around him.  He loved God with all his heart that his love poured out to each one of us.  Just as God loves us, we should love one another.  We should be merciful to others, forgiving and show others a love with no bounds.  You may feel emptiness and loneliness at times, but know that God is there with you.  He has never left your side and He is waiting for you to turn to Him so that He can embrace you with all His love.  God wants nothing better than to show you everything is going to be okay.  He wants to shower you with His undying love and fill your heart with peace.

Thank you Heavenly Father for the abundance of love you give to each and every one of us.  I thank you for the restoration and peace your love fills our hearts with.  I thank you for your forgiveness and mercy.  I know sometimes we allow hurt and unforgiveness to take over our hearts and minds and I ask that you help us to show others the love you have given to us.  I pray that we can be strong in our faith and merciful to those that cause us hurt and anger.  I pray that we too can be forgiving and that we love in abundance.  We love you God with all our hearts and thank you for never giving up on us.  In Jesus name we pray…Amen.

XOXO…Ileen

Psst…God Loves You

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-8