What can separate us?

There is a chapter in Romans that talks about how nothing can separate us from the love of God. I've heard these verses thousands of times throughout my life. I would become annoyed when I would hear them. I thought of course there is one thing separates us from Christ's love. We can.

For years, I reasoned light and dark don't occupy the same space. When light is found, shadows are made by blocking the light. Bitter and sweet are not usually found together.  East and West are not the same direction. Up is not down.  Closed is not open. Right isn't left. Dogs aren't cats. These things are opposites as are sin and righteousness. Sin will separate us from Christ. I considered other verses I've learned and heard for most of my life to prove the division we can create between our maker and ourselves by having un-forgiven sin in one's life.

It took reading these verses myself to understand it was talking about TRUE unfathomable love. While sin divides us from Christ, it won't and can't detach us from His love. Our maker IS the true essence of love. You know the kind that looks past the storms in your life to see/speak peace. The kind of love that loves the sinner and NOT the sin they commit. This love makes big celebrations out of small victories. This kind of love doesn't sweat the small stuff and yet cares a great deal for the small stuff at the same time. This love is your cheerleader in hard times. Can you hear it? You can do it! You can do it! This too shall pass... You can do it! You can do it! This too shall pass... You can do it! You can do it! This too shall pass... You can do it! You can do it! This too shall pass... I think I shall join Paul in saying, "I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."

Battle this.

This past week I went to my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. They had a lovely lady there to speak to us about blogging. I realized I hadn't been on here in a couple weeks. I feel like God has been using my job, the soon approaching anniversary of my baby cousin's death, and my busy-ness as a means to wear some rough edges off me. My mom told me once that God will put people in our lives to turn us into river stones. You know the kind of smooth stone you skip across the top of the water. The only way stones become smooth is through the process of unhurried erosion. The water in a river will move over the roughest of rocks to smooth away the cutting edges.

I suppose I have a few more than I thought. Why would anyone willingly submit to being such a difficult process? Honestly, I don't know. Admitting I'm less than I should be will never be easy. I'm called to be my best me. I'll leave perfection to our Creator.

Words can heal or they can take hold of you like a deadly poison. You can be wise. It's all in the learning of when to speak or not. It's always appropriate to be fully honest with the dude who knew you before your 10x Great Grandparents where born. Its important to have a running dialog with him. If you hurt, tell him about it. If you're angry, tell him why. If you feel insignificant, share it with your Maker. If you are insanely excited, talk to him. Can you imagine how big a smile God has? Think of the crazy things kids say to you. I'm sure the Savior's smile literally lights up a room when we come to him. There is a scripture in Romans that says the Lord prays for us. How cool is that? The Guy who knows the secrets of the ENTIRE universe and spoke the most infinitesimal molecule into reality, prays for me and you. He is the guy I want to be pulling for me while those rough spots are smoothed away. The great thing is the Lord has been praying for YOU since time began. Those pains you have. They are gone because God's promises aren't empty. That career you longed for is yours! That loved one who you are missing isn't really that far away. With God big things become very small matters. He shrinks time and the impossibilities in our minds to a couple words: "It is Finished!"