Meet Rachel.

The first three words that come to mind when I think of this lady:

beautiful, kind, talented

Beautiful – Rachel has a passion for life that burns from the inside, warms her soul and it’s abundance overflows into the people around her.  Kind – one of those people who throws gorgeous, backyard dinner parties, and welcomes people into her home; not with-holding a thing, she shares her magical cooking skills, and her heart for hospitality. Talented – put a camera in her hands, and watch her capture special moments with a unique eye for beauty.

That’s just three words, but let me, let her tell you more, straight from her heart…

Meet Rachel.

(and be sure to check out her blog: http://www.thefondlife.com/)

I never thought I would struggle with the simple concept I sang so happily as a child, that “Jesus loves me, this I know.”  But a question has plagued me during this past year, a year that has been marked by a continual and debilitating spiritual dryness.  

“Does God really love me?” 

This question punches me in the heart because I am in a place where I have nothing to give Him. Literally … nothing.

In the dryness I have not sought Him. I have not been in prayer. I have not read His word. I have not thanked Him for His gifts. I have not sung his praises. 

The words and actions of my life have given him nothing. I know this and it eats away at my worth because I have no way to earn His love.

And so the question has persisted, “Does God love me? Does he love me in this season where I have nothing to give?” 

Last Monday morning I *finally* decided to open my Bible and I read Daniel 1.

The verse that stuck out to me was vs 17: “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” 

I thought about this verse for a few minutes and how dreams are a vessel that God uses. How some dreams exist for a purpose and what that means for us. 

Unbeknownst to me, the night before I read this verse, an old friend from high school who I hadn’t spoken to in years had a dream about me. 

She had a dream that she was sharing words that God had put on her heart for me. That God had marked me for a reason, that I was born for a purpose and that I was loved as a child. In her dream I started crying, and said that I really needed to hear that. 

The next night she had another dream. 

This time, we ran into each other and were catching up when I shared something about my childhood. In her dream she said, “that is so funny because last night I had a dream that God gave us a word for you about how your childhood was marked by Him. That He was with you.” 

I’ve thought a lot about these dreams. I think the reference to childhood refers to right now. That it refers to my current wrestling to believe I am his beloved child, regardless of what I have to offer him.

Him turning my attention that verse in Daniel tells me that He is nudging at my heart.

Her dreams tell me that He is chasing me, and loves me as I am, no matter what I have to offer. 

Her dreams remind me that He is enough and needs nothing from me in order to love me.

They remind me that He loves me as I am.