Wait. Slow down. I need to hear that again. I press rewind and re-listen. Life words softly spoken in the air and they are reaching my heart. I hear Emily Freeman say again,

“I’m learning ever slowly that maturity and a growing faith show up not in our ability to stand up straight and blameless, but in our willingness to turn, again and again, back to the face of God. Not once, but a thousand times once and then a thousand times more.

“We would be without hope if not for our Kind Companion. Jesus came to make all things new. Not some things, but all things. Not easy, not quick, but new.”

My heart that longs for perfection gets weary day in and day out, but this is what is true. This is what I need to hear. Grace. Returning. Learning to return to the face of God. His face, if we could truly see,  so grand it would stop our hearts.  God wants something more from me than perfect behavior, he want something much more complicated and costly to Him, relationship.

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?

“If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger?

“The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture….

“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 8:37-39 (The Message)

If Emily’s words of Truth encourage you, you’ll love her book, A Million Little Ways. Jump on over to my instagram, and enter to win a free copy of this lovely book.