April 21st, 2025

By Donna Churchill



Jesus loves you……….this is Basic Christianity 101, right? Yet it’s probably the greatest foundational truth that people struggle with.  If we really believed this, it would change everything about the way we lived and how we interacted with others.

Recently, I was struggling with this truth. I was having a “down” day, a self-pity day and I really couldn’t fathom why Jesus loved me, why He put up with me, why He continually reached out to me with His grace. I knew I was failing in a specific area and was thinking there was really no hope for change. Ever have one of those days?
 
I thought of the Scripture in Genesis 6:5-6 that says, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” 
 
This Scripture doesn’t mean that God regretted His creation. It signifies a deep sorrow or pain for the sin and wickedness that man continually chose to live in. This was right before God made the decision to destroy the earth with the flood.
 
I wonder, at times, if God ever regrets that He made me? I know, of course, that He doesn’t. His Word is clear on that.

 But sometimes I lose my way and don’t see clearly. I know my heart is wicked and my attitude and thoughts can take me in directions I should not go and really don’t want to go. That particular “down” day happened to be a Sunday, so I was at church in the morning and instead of leaving encouraged as I usually do, I allowed myself to continue the downward spiral. I spent the afternoon with my kids and grandkids at our weekly Sunday Family Dinner. That particular Sunday we were having it in the dining room of the complex I live in. We all had access to my apartment to use for bathroom trips and filling up water bottles, etc (as trivial as this is, this particular information is important to the story).

Anyway, everyone left about 4pm and I spent the rest of the day in my apartment. As I walked into my bedroom later that night to get ready for bed, I noticed the plant in my bedroom looked a little droopy. I brought it to the sink to water it and I happened to notice something blue in the soil. I dug around and found the Jesus figurine!! Pictured at the top of this blog)! I was quite shocked and a little freaked out because I could not imagine how it got there and more importantly, who had access to my apartment to put it there?? I know only 3 people have keys to my apartment and there was one that might be a possibility, but…….

After the initial shock wore off, I decided to just leave that thought and continue to get ready for bed. As I pulled down the blankets on my bed, I found another figurine on my sheet!!! Suddenly, I knew! I knew of only one group of people that would prank me like this – my family, specifically my grandkids! And they all had access to my apartment that afternoon.
 
Since that Sunday, I have found a total of 16 figurines!! I’ve been told by my grandkids that there are still many more to be found and I could possibly die before I find them all!!
So, why am I telling you all this? Because as cute as this is and as much as I love my grandkids for doing this (the forethought and effort that went into it, especially when none of them share my faith), the greater truth that I have been consistently reminded of is, yes,  Jesus loves me! And the forethought and effort that He puts into consistently reminding me of this every day of my life is staggering! As if Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t enough to convince me, God, in His mercy, moves in my life continually to remind me. In His mercy, he moved upon the hearts of my grandkids to set this in motion for that particular day, just when I needed it!
 
His love has surrounded me these past few weeks and this very foundational truth has lifted my spirits and encompassed me every time I find another figurine in a place I never expected. And isn’t that always where His love is found or discovered by us – in a place we never expected? In a place where we feel such sinfulness in our hearts, thoughts, attitudes and even actions? In a place where we are so consumed with thoughts of ourselves that we are almost blind to anything else? In a place where we know we don’t deserve it, but He gives it anyway.
 
What does the Word say?
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, or angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39
“…..so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

I am working on letting that thought and His love go down deep in my spirit. I want to live in a place where I truly believe it, absorb it, allow it to change me and ultimately, change my actions. I am so grateful that He is continually reaching out to me with His love, no matter (or maybe, especially) how unexpected the form it takes!!

Believe it - Jesus loves you!