You know the friend who always answers “how are you?” honestly but non-intrusively? That’s how Jeanne writes. Her blog, Where Faith and Grace Hold Hands, bids you welcome, shares an experience, and then turns the “how are you” into “How God is.” Grateful to welcome her today!
Since I was a girl, I’ve struggled with the effect of rejection on my identity. Being teased and bullied in elementary school left permanent scars on my heart and self-concept. After becoming a Christian as a teenager, I still struggled with the lie that acceptance by others—especially the popular kids—would erase the fear that I really, truly was not enough . . . that I was “less-than” most of the kids I knew.
After I married and my husband and I decided we were ready to start a family, we crafted a timeline and waited . . . and waited for a child to come into our family.
Our walk through infertility, as painful as it was, also freed me from many of the lies I’d carried from girlhood into womanhood. Lies that said, “You are less than.” “You are not enough.”
One day, as I was driving around town and lamenting to God about how much I wanted a baby, I said something to the effect of, “You must not love me as much as you love others. You give teenagers who don’t want babies a pregnancy. You give women who have four children one more. And You haven’t given me any children. Even though I’m ready to be a mom. I want to be a mom. You love them more than me.”
I could almost hear God’s response audibly. He said something to the affect of: “I love you, Jeanne. I can’t love you anymore than I do, because I already love you completely.”
My thoughts stopped, amazed.
Tears began to flow, even as I drove . . .
. . . as I absorbed His words spoken straight to my aching heart.
The biggest truth I took from that conversation is:
God loves each of His children passionately, perfectly, and completely.
As I spent time with Him in the Bible, He showed me verses that proved just what He thinks about His children.
Jeremiah 31:3—“The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’”
Zephaniah 3:17—“The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”
Psalm 139:17-18—“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.”
Isaiah 49: 15-16—“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.”
As I meditated on these verses, I came to realize that to say He loves us less than another is to call God a liar . . . which, of course, we know isn’t true.
I suspect I’m not the only who has doubted that God really loved me. The thing is, when we take the truth of His word to heart, it revolutionizes our understanding of Him, and refreshes and deepens our relationship with Him. To know that there is nothing we can do that will cause Him to stop loving us? That is a life-truth right there. It’s when we grasp this truth that we can walk free of the condemnation that accompanies so many of us.
As I began to embrace His words to me, I released the tight hold I had on my dream for motherhood. He revealed to me the idol that it had become. I chose to trust His love for me and His plan for me. I began to see that I am His girl. We are all His children. His precious treasures. He loves us.
If you’re not sure about this, ask God to show you in His word what He has to say about you and the inestimable value He places on YOU.
What about you? If you have trouble believing God loves you no matter what, what’s holding you back? What is one life-changing lesson God has taught you?
This post is being shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #Intentionally Pursuing, #WomenWithIntention, #TellHiStory, #Thought-Provoking Thursday, #DanceWithJesus, #LLMLinkup and #LifeGivingLinkup.
Awesome reminder, Jeanne! And yes, I totally understand about thinking acceptance from peers would erase that ‘less than’ feeling. I tell a story about that in my upcoming book. That’s definitely a feeling many of us can relate to. You explain God’s love so beautifully here, and I love the scriptures you shared. Have a blessed week!
Kristine, I’m amazed at how many women have struggled with the feelings and thoughts of being less-than. Honestly, I still battle them. Thank goodness for God’s grace and His amazing love!
Jeanne love this and all those beautiful verses. I walked thru miscarriages for many years and have watched my kids walk thru infertility. Today I have two grown children and I would go thru all that pain again and my daughter has beat infertility and finally has a one-year old.
I’m so sorry you’ve also walked the infertility road. Those lessons we learn in the darkness open our eyes to the greatness of God. And when He blesses us with those desires of our hearts? It means so much! I’m so glad your daughter has beaten infertility and has a child. It’s such a blessing!
Jeanne and Bethany, thank you for teaming up here today to communicate such beautiful truth. It was so good of God to put His thoughts toward us (which are more in number than the sand, right?) into print so that we can keep going back to them when our memories falter and we start speaking lies to ourselves.
What a great series this has been!
I completely agree with you, Michelle. Having God’s word written down so we can go back to it and be reminded of His truths is crucial. I still have to correct lies I sometimes speak to myself. God’s word is so good for that. 🙂
Such lovely truth here. You’ve spoken to one of my favorite facets of our multi-multi-multi-faceted God: His passionate compassion. Thank you for sharing your heart…stopping by from the #RaRaLinkup!
Elizabeth, you’re so right. Our God is truly a compassionate God. I thank Him for His compassion often. 🙂 I loved what you said, because it’s something I’ve said too. Our God is a multi-faceted God. We can never know all of who He is. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Jeanne, I find it so interesting that in both your life and mine, God used infertility as a tool of liberation. We were freed from different things (for me, it was a lifelong stronghold of worry), but the process sounds very similar! Only God could take something as painful as infertility and use it to heal His children from even greater hurts.Thank you for sharing this part of your story here!
I hadn’t thought about it quite that way, but you’re right, Lois. God did use infertility to liberate me. Yes, only God can redeem the pain in our lives and use it to heal us. How amazing He is. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of yourself here too.
Beautiful, Jeanne. We are so loved … “For God so loved …” xoxo
Thank you, Shelli. Yes, we are sooooo loved. I’m so glad you stopped by!
Jeanne, I’m going to be honest when I admit that I struggle to relate to some of the blogs I visit on linkups.
Not today.
I read through your post thoroughly and with heart. Your scriptures were so on point. I participate in “one word” each year and this year, my word is “know” – to know exactly who God is and what our relationship is like. I’ve woken up a number of mornings with the song, “Good Father” playing in my mind.
He really, really is. Beautiful post today. Thank you:)
What an encouraging post. Thanks so much for sharing your story and for linking up with the LMM Link-up!
Love this post! So true that until we picture ourselves as a little child in the arms of our Heavenly Father and hear Him say, “I love you unconditionally” and truly believe and accept His love as a child of God. Many blessings to you ❤️
Thanks everyone for reading and sharing Jeanne’s sweet words! Thank you Jeanne for reminding so many of God’s love and faithfulness!!
I am so reminded of very painful things in my life and how God said in psalm62 v8 pour your heart out to me, how that made us closer, knowing He really wanted to listen to me and how a sincere heart of prayer from those times, have brought me closer to God, we can quote bible but do we really know the author, i am entering a season of having to trust Him alone and its hard, but i do love Jesus, thank you so very much for sharing an intimate part of your heart, it takes real guts and but God honours us for that because despite the hurt and sorrow we know Jesus loves us, thats what keeps us going, bless you so much love Jacqueline