In the garden, where faith grows, prayer plants a flower…

I’ve just finished reading ‘The Shack’. To say that I enjoy reading it is immensely an understatement. I now realized how far I have gone away from trusting Jesus completely, to relying on my own wit and strength in life. I remembered last night, while taking my shower, how I was suddenly ‘washed’ by the presence of the Holy Spirit. I cried and cried. But my tears were tears of joy. For now, it dawns upon me that God loves me so much just the way I am. Like in the story of the prodigal son, I was once the son who chose to stay with the father and try to live religiously just to seek the father’s love and approval. Try as I might, I can never be the perfect son. As a matter of fact, no one ever can. But the most liberating fact is that, God does not expect us to be perfect. He loves us all the same.

He knows the day I am born even before I was conceived. He knows the choices that I’ll make in life. He knows the consequences of my bad decision. He knows my happy moments. He knows everything about me long before I even exist. Yet, He loves me for who I am irregardless of the choices that He knows I’ll make. For God loves me so much He gave me the freedom to choose. He wants me to love Him not because I have to, but because I want to. He wants to have intimate relationship with me not because He needs to, but because He wants to. He loves me that much even when I hurt Him with the choices that He knows I’ll make. Even when I blamed Him for all the wrong things happening in my life and even when I did not bother to say thanks to Him for all the great blessings He has and continues to bestow upon me.

Do I deserve to be His son? No… I’m not. No one ever does except for Jesus. And yet, He calls me His son and He loves me all the same. He sees the beauty in the mess that is me. Oh… what a mess I must be. But, to Him, I am a beautiful garden. For He sees a garden in me. A garden where faith continues to grow every single moment, every single day.

Abba Father! Thank you for loving me. I am liberated by your love. I want to live trusting you completely. Please guide me and show me the way. I want to walk with you everyday in my life. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!