Get Real: More.

It is ridiculously depressing how quickly my sisters are growing.  As I observed my youngest sister at Thanksgiving dinner, heartache stabbed me in the chest.  When did she get so tall?  Where had my little girl gone?  In her place was a blossoming young woman and, good grief, I was not prepared.

Sometimes my heart speaks out of pure emotion, so I exclaimed, "I love you so much!"

My youngest sister, who has grown used to my random outbursts of affection, replied, "Like, the whole world?"

"Like, the whole universe."

"Whoa.  More than Jesus?!"

I hesitated for a moment.  How do you explain that kind of love to an 11 year old?  I finally said, "No, not more than Jesus.  Jesus loves you more than anybody, even Daddy."  That seemed to blow her mind.  It blew mine, too.

As she ran off to do whatever it is that little girls on the brink of becoming young women do, I sat in amazement.  Jesus loves me more than anybody.  Which means His love is a love like I've never known or experienced.  And I have been loved by some extraordinary people in my life.  His love puts their love to shame merely because it flows directly from His heart.

And as I embraced that truth for my life, I also attempted to grasp it for others.  I have been praying for some friends facing heartbreaking and hurtful decisions or circumstances.  For some, I have been praying for years.  For others, I have started praying recently.  For all, I have been teetering between belief for restoration and discouragement due to their choices.  I have foolishly believed that their answers depended on my devotion, my love for them.

But the amazing thing?  Jesus loves them even more than I do.  So why do I feel like I have to persuade Him to move on their behalf when His heart is even more invested in them than mine?  His love puts my love to shame.  My imperfect, frail, tiny love has brought me to my knees in desperate tears.  If my love moves me even the slightest bit, what is His mighty and powerful love capable of achieving?

My friends are alright because they rest in His capable hands.  My prayers are acknowledged because his heart relates to mine.  And you can rest assured that the ones who are precious to you are even more precious to Jesus.  

The sleepless nights you've spent crying out for your wandering children?  God's there.  The tears your heart has spilled for lost loved ones?  God sees those.  The desperate passion you have to see straying friends return to Christ?  He feels that along with you.  You are not alone.  You are heard.  He loves them as much as you do.  In fact, He loves them even more.

May we rest in that knowledge.  We are not required to be more devoted or more heartbroken in order to be effective because God is capable of so much more than we will ever be.  Because He loves more than we can even fathom, we can rest assured that the people occupying our hearts and prayers are in capable hands.

Father, thank You so much for Your love.  Thank You for understanding our hearts and for hearing our prayers, for listening and loving and breaking and crying right along with us.  When we hurt, You hurt.  What an awesome Father You are.  Allow us to trust in You and in Your love.  You are capable of doing so much more than we ever can.  Move in the hearts and lives of those for which Your children are praying fervently.  Show up and reveal Yourself in these situations.  We ask all of this in the name of Jesus, amen.  <3