As I woke up this morning, thoughts of unconditional love tumbled around my head. The kind of love that remains steady no matter how I act or feel. It is not rooted in me, it is rooted in the one who loves me. I had the image of an angry child in my head, held by a loving father. The angry child may even be yelling and hitting its father, but the good father’s love remains steadfast and does not turn away.

You are loved like that. This love has nothing to do with your emotions. This love has nothing to do with whether or not you feel like you deserve it… because, let’s be honest, neither you or I deserve that love. That love is a gift. And because it is a gift, it will continue. It was already paid for by Jesus on the cross.

(And you know what? God not only loves you, He likes you too.)

And whether or not you feel that love, it is there. Whether or not you accept that love, it is reaching out to you. Do you feel that love this morning?

You are loved. Breathe deeply. Relish it. Revel in it. There is nothing you can do with it. You are stuck with it. You are loved.