Today was one of those days where I was in a funk from the moment I opened my eyes. I hadn't slept well, and all of the things that had been bothering me were looming over my head like a thick, dark cloud. I'd had a few interruptions to my morning routine, and I was just feeling sorry for myself. I started thinking about how I wanted to write a new blog, but the words just wouldn't come. The only words that kept coming into my head were, "Jesus loves me." I couldn't have felt more unlovable at that moment, which added to my sour mood. I left the blog for the time being, and as I went about my day, the words, "Jesus loves me" kept coming into my thoughts. I reflected on a Scripture I'd read earlier in the morning, and suddenly saw what God had been trying to get into my head the whole day. Here's what I read:

     Jesus said in John 15:9-12, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (NIV)

     I completely missed the connection when I had read it earlier because I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I want to share it with you: Jesus loves us, and though there are many times when we may feel unlovable, His Word reassures us that indeed, He does love us. He tells us, in the verses above, that we are to remain in His love. How do we do that? He answers that..."obey my commands." Why did Jesus tell us this? "So that my joy me be in you.." And what is Jesus' command? "Love each other as I have loved you."

      I couldn't see past myself to feel Jesus' love until I took the focus off of me and spent time loving others. That's when the joy that Jesus longed to give me all day came. When we turn our eyes inward, and only see ourselves, we close ourselves off from feeling Jesus' love. It is when we reach out to love others that we feel His enormous love for us, and can experience his unending joy.

     Jesus loves me. Amen!