I’ve been thinking back over this summer a lot this week. It has been a DOOZY.

Summer 2018 provided more than its fair share of stress and change. It has made me  long for a calmer Fall, the kind where everything is stable and untroubled. We’ll see.

In the course of 3 months, several tough things happened in my family. My husband had a car accident (he’s fine…the car was totaled). We moved my Mom into assisted living (she’s adjusting well…I’m working on it). And my husband received a couple of chronic, life-altering diagnoses (thankfully, the kind that can be helped through diet and medication). Aside from my own personal family crises, I’ve had close friends go through hard things this summer, too. Relationships strained. Finances stretched thin. Addictions battled.

So, as I sit here tonight thinking about all that this summer brought with it, I’m reminded to think about the love of God. It’s such a constant in a sea of variables. It’s unending and sure in a way that not much else is these days.

God loves us.

When our judgement is off. When our flesh is weak. When our bodies break down.

God loves us.

When our relationships fracture. When our memories fail. When our addiction wins.

God loves us.

When we succeed. When we fail. When we’re afraid to even try.

God loves us.

How amazingly generous he is, doling out his never-ending, extravagant, grace-filled love like he does. What an amazing Father we have. What an awesome God.

So, whether your summer was blissful or beastly, remember that you are loved by the God who made you, knows you, and is for you.

You are loved.

I enjoy participating in the Five Minute Friday community of Christian writers. Each week the members of that community have the opportunity to write for 5 minutes about an assigned theme. This week that theme is Loved.