"One Thing Remains"


Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me 
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me 
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me
Your love...

We sang this song at church on Sunday, and it has become more than just an earworm. It is the anthem of my soul--the cry of my heart. It's about the power of God's love for us. And it is the perfect Easter Jam to serenade me through this Holiest of weeks. 

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains

This is the week that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even though it gets lost in our pursuit of shiny shoes, springy dresses, and chocolate bunnies, it's a time for Christians to STOP and truly reflect on the MAGNITUDE of God's love for us.  When you boil it down to the basic bones, His love is BIG. I try to wrap my meager mind around it: 

The Lord of the Universe 
loves me so much 
that He sent His Son to Earth
To die on a cross 
so that I can live
with Him
in Heaven
Forever. 

Seriously? It's insane. And yet...it's the truth. His love is REAL and it never stops. No matter how much I screw up.

On and one and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never ever have to be afraid
One thing remains

This song reminds me that God's love is not conditional. He does not love me: 

only if I live a "perfect" life. 
only if I fit the "good Christian" mold.  
only if I'm straight. 

Yes, THAT. Again. This post is not meant to be a I Choose Love Part 2. Okay, maybe it is. All I know is that this is the song that I hear in my head when I see footage of this week's Supreme Court hearings over marriage equality. It's the soundtrack serenading my thoughts as I look upon the sea of faces, yearning for the right to marry who they love. I can't help but hear this song, see these brave faces, and think:

 Do they know that Jesus loves them unconditionally? 
For those who don't follow Christ, is it because they think that Jesus doesn't love them? 
Do these precious people think that they have to change for Him?


And that's what makes me come undone. That there are people in this world who think that they are not good enough for God's love. None of us are good enough. None of us deserve it.

In death and in life I'm confident and covered by the power of your great love
My debt is paid there's nothing that can separate my heart from your great love

This is the part that makes me cry every time because

I am a sinner
I am broken
And yet
yet
He still loves me
And always will

And why is this different for anyone else? Why are my "straight" sins better than the "gay" ones? Because they are NOT. Jesus meets me where I am in my messy life and loves me in spite of all that I get wrong. 

In spite of my imperfections. 
In spite of my mistakes. 
In spite of it ALL.
He loves me. 
And he loves you. 
  
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me 
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me 
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me
Your love...

This is my "Blessed Assurance" as a follower of Christ.

Not that my life will be perfect. 
Not that I will never struggle.
Not that I will never experience sorrow.

That's not what this about. It's about His promise that He will love me through it all. 

Through
my imperfections
my struggles
my sorrow

Thank you, Jesus.

So this Easter, I will fall on my face in gratitude for my Savior.

For His Love
For His Forgiveness
For His Grace
For His Mercy
For His Faithfulness

Because in this crazy, complex world, one thing remains:

Jesus
Nailed upon the Cross
Arms open wide
for you
for me
For ALL
of us.







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