More than a Number

Whenever I call my doctor’s office or my dentist’s office one of the first things they ask for is my Insurance card number, which is followed by my pertinent information: name, birthdate, etc. To these medical professionals I am merely a few keystrokes on a keyboard and a series of statistics.

Because I’m a woman and tend to navigate my way through life according to my feelings, I sometimes wonder if that’s how God sees us; as nothing more than statistics. Does He only see our height and weight; our eye color or all of the bad habits we’re unwilling to let go of? Does God only see me as a woman with brown hair who happens to be a socially handicapped introvert who talks too much when she gets nervous? Are we more than the statistics that encompass our physical and emotional makeup?

On my particularly vulnerable days, I wonder the exact opposite – does God see me at all? Am I invisible to the Creator of the Universe? Does He know or care that I’m plagued by insecurities and fear?

The good news is that whenever we’re struggling with our identity in Christ and wondering where we fit in on this planet comprised of more than seven billion people – God not only sees us – He knows our name and exactly how many hairs number our head. Matthew 10:30

Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture and should be mandatory, required reading for anyone suffering from low self-esteem or depression. When I read that God saw me as I was being formed in my mother’s womb and that every day of my life was laid out before a single day had passed, it reminds me that even though I may have not felt love from those closest to me while growing up – God always saw me. When I was rejected by my first husband, I am assured that the precious thoughts that God continually has about me outnumber the grains of sand.

Rest assured, Sisters in Christ – we are more than statistics or a number on a census to our Heavenly Father. When the enemy creeps in and tries to make us doubt our Father’s love for us we would do well to remember to thank God for making us so wonderfully complex! Psalm 139:14. We are not invisible to the Savior!

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. Psalm 139:1, 3 (NLT)

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com

The Eternal Pursuit of Love

Does the season of romance make your heart flutter . . . or your stomach turn? Hollywood offers us a shadow view of what love is, or more accurately—what it means. Here’s a look at God’s definition:

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11

God’s version of romance draws the unbeliever to His eternal heart of love. Take for example, Tony and Sheila (oh, how I love this story!), a couple living “in the world and of the world”—partying too much, angry too much, trying the world’s way to heal from the broken relationships in their pasts. Hear this: they didn’t think there was any other way. Oh, but God knew another way! In fact, He’d sent His only Son so this empty couple could be filled with forever . . . but, He had some pursuing to do.

In a bold step of faith, Tony and Sheila sat themselves down at a Sunday church service. God spoke directly to their hearts. Both a mess afterwards, a kind lady asked Sheila for her phone number—in case she ever wanted to talk. That week at work, Tony found a scrawled message across the corner of a random cardboard box. “God loves you,” it declared. Not long after, while Sheila did some shopping, Tony grabbed a meal. A little, old lady—a stranger—paid for his lunch, and with a smile she repeated, “God loves you.” Somehow, the unlikely couple found the courage to join a small group Bible Study. Weeks later, in tears of desperation, Sheila decided she didn’t fit in and she wouldn’t go back. But she didn’t tell anyone. To her astonishment, the next day, flowers appeared on her desk along with a compassionate note, “God put it on my heart to send you these.” It was a turning point.

You see, Tony and Sheila did go back to church, and to small group; they did give their lives to the great God who pursued their hearts . . . after all, He asked for Sheila’s phone number, bought Tony dinner, wrote them love notes, and sent Sheila flowers. The inventor of romance knows how to woo His children! What’s your story of God’s loving pursuit of your heart? And when is the last time you returned the favor?

“We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Jesseca Newton
Writer