Always Accepted

Oh the love of God. This weekend God showered me with kisses at our church women's retreat. My birthday was right in the middle of our three days at a gorgeous setting up north.

During the first workshop Friday morning, our leader taught on worship. She said, people may reject you, but you can always go to God in worship because you are always accepted in His presence. For some reason that really clicked with me that morning. Always accepted. Sometimes I forget that.

I can believe God for His grace at times like my birthday, but those normal days, uh, not always. But now I have a new warmth when I think of God's accepting me.

Today at church we shared "cardboard testimonies." Have you seen this? Each person takes a piece of cardboard and writes the "old" them information on one side and the "new" them information on the other, like: lonely, addicted, hopeless would be side A. Then, flip the cardboard and the other side reads: fulfilled by the God of hope (or something to that effect).

These testimonials are personal and powerful as each person parades across the stage and shares their silent story of how God has impacted and changed their lives.

One of the words on Side B of my cardboard today was "acceptance." :-)

YOU are accepted in the Beloved (Jesus), dear reader. As soon as you received His free gift of salvation, you were welcomed into the family of God. The Affectionate Father chose YOU. Purposefully. Specifically. Rejoice! You are accepted. Always.