Everlasting Love

Mark and Julia's Valentine holders are from Pottery Barn

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.--Jeremiah 31:3

I have a hard time wrapping my head around the thought that God LOVES us.


The God of the universe who created everything, who is all powerful, takes the time to LOVE and care and have compassion and mercy on little old us.


Last night I had the opportunity to speak to the Sparks at AWANA.  This is age K-2nd grade.  I was a little sad that Julia couldn't be there because her teacher brought the Cubbies up to hear me give my lesson (but she is healing from a bad fall from her bed last night and Daddy came home early just to give the kids a puppet show and give mom a little break, I've been sick all week...I think it could be strep throat).  I spoke on how we need to have Thankful Hearts.  And the verse I focused on was 

Psalm 136: 1 Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

God's LOVE is everlasting and His MERCY endures forever.  It was so good to teach that to the little ones and be reminded it to myself.  Things that happen to us as a family I do not think it a coincidence.  I attribute it to God's LOVE and His MERCY.

Last weekend I delivered 3 bags of clothes to a family who was recently in a fire...2 out of the 4 children are the same ages as Julia and Mark, so I was able to share a lot with them...that very night I went to the Mall to pick up a shirt or two and pretty bows for Julia for the kids for their Valentine's Day pictures and I had a coupon.  I walk into the store and they are raffling off $88 gift cards for the store Crazy 8 (one of my favorite kid clothe's stores, next to Janie and Jack and Gymboree and Pottery Barn)...I fill out the form never thinking that I'd win a gift card...continue shopping, leave the store, bundle up the kids to leave the mall, check my phone before stepping outside to see if John called...and Voila...a missed call from an unknown number...I listen to the message, "Hi Mrs. McInerney, you just won a gift card for $88 to our store, please claim your card within 24 hours!"  We ran back to the store with Big Smiles!

Coincedence?  Or another act of God's Love and Mercy?  He is so loving, so kind, He does things like this throughout the day for us to show us how much he loves us that he is there providing for us and protecting us. And what a small way to give back to Him by simply saying, Thank you Lord, I know that was you, I know you LOVE me.

Julia not needing stitches after her bad fall in the middle of the night, another example of God's way of showing her Love.  She was so fearful of getting stitches and wanted me to promise the doctor would say she wouldn't need them.  "Baby girl I can't promise you won't need them, but God is going to be with us and He will give us strength to face this day."  When the doctor finally at 11: 45 am said, "Nope she doesn't need stitches!"  We praised and thanked the Lord right then and there in front of the doctor!   See, Julia, See how much God Loves you?  And God is going to continue to heal you.

Take a minute today just to think over the last week at the many small ways God showed you His everlasting Love and Mercy.  Then take time to Thank Him.  He deserves our thankful hearts.