Loving God for Himself

This week's guest blogger is our own Jan Loyd. Her post: "Loving God for Himself."                                                                            
We love because he first loved us.  1 John 4:19 ESV

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved God. I can’t remember when I had the very first loving thoughts and feelings toward God. But He has always been most important to me.

My granddaughter Claire asked me one day,
“Babci (my Polish name for “Grandma), who told you about God?”

My immediate reply,
“My mommy told me about God.”

And she had, because God was her life.
“Tell me about God, Babci,” was her response.

And so I have … visit after visit.
 
And now I think little Claire has fallen in love with God too … at least I pray so. She sings

 “Jesus Loves Me” (sometimes with me and sometimes alone) with such heart and soul … how could she not love Him?

And how could I not love Him? He loves me. He knows me. He gets me. Even when I feel most alone, I know I am not!

Recently, I went through a period of self-pity (we old people feel that way sometimes, especially as we are losing loved ones, close friends, through dementia, death, and “distance”).
 
These were the thoughts grabbing at my soul.

Can you identify?

No one really knows me — the real me.
No one gets me.
No one really understands me.  

Then the Holy Spirit of the God Whom I have known and loved all my life reminded me of the truth, that is truly true for me:

Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever….
But as for me, the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
So that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalm 73:25-26, 28 NASB

Oh yes! This is true, dear God.
You are all I truly desire on this earth.
Thank you for rescuing me from the dark pit I was heading into.
You are my Life. Your Love is all I truly need. Amen.