God wants you

Earlier this evening, I was re-reading a book gifted to me by friends from church. It's entitled 'God is closer than you think' by John Ortberg. In the start of the book, he talks about Michelangelo's fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel: 

The Creation of Adam
(source: The Britannica Encyclopedia online)

Here is an excerpt of what Ortberg wrote: 

Before Michelangelo, art scholars say, the standard paintings of creation showed God standing on the ground, in effect helping Adam to his feet. Not here. This God is rushing to Adam on a cloud, one of the 'chariots of heaven', propelled by the angels. 

He goes on to describe a time when he went on a plane ride and was seated next to a man on his way home to a 14-month old son. He made the *mistake* of asking the man about the picture of his son which was the screensaver on his laptop. As with all new parents, you would think the world revolved around the man's child, even though millions of children do the same things his son does everyday, and every parent has witnessed a plethora of their child's 'firsts'. Here are a few more of his musings: 

Why was the man pre-occupied with his son? 

The man was pre-occupied with Adam (author-given name) because he looked at him through the eyes of a father. Everything Adam did was cloaked with wonder. It didn't matter that other children do them as well. 

And then it hit me. I am the child on God's screen saver. And so are you. The tiniest details of our lives never grow old to him. God himself is filled with wonder at our faltering steps and stammering words -- not because we do them better than anyone else, but because he views them through the eyes of a loving father. God shows our pictures to the angels until even the angels get a little tired of looking. And the story of the bible is first of all God's story -- the story of a father rushing through the clouds to be at home with you.       

That realization (or reminder) has always been amazing to me. From childhood, I have always known that God is almighty and all-powerful. That he created the world and everything in, above and below it. That he is omnipotent and capable of doing anything, anywhere, at anytime. That he is perfect. But that GOD loves ME? Petty, sinful, self-centered me? He loves me that much? I'm not (that) lovable. From a human perspective, it's a bit mind-boggling, but the Bible clearly states that it's the truth. And when I think about it, if God were just fair but not loving, I wouldn't be this blessed and happy. So I can see his love shining in my life, but most days I'm just too busy to actually appreciate it. 

Friends, I hope you're able to see the depth of God's love for you. He died on the cross more than 2000 years ago to save you and me from our sins. But that's not the end of it. He wants to be with you. Here. Now. It's not just a passing fancy, he feels that way all the time, and I just hope that we could be as excited to be in his presence as he is to be with us.