My mother and father died within a year of each other. I miss them. After they died, I inherited all kinds of stuff, material things, things they wanted me to have. But when I think about it, the stuff wasn’t important at all, because the greatest gift they gave to me was what I call “the blessing.” They gave me the gift of a mother and father’s unconditional love. They loved me in the same way Christ loved them. I never remember a moment in my life when I was not believed in and valued unconditionally. Even when I was at my worst, their love was at its best. Some of you reading this may never have received that kind of blessing from your family. Well, God has a blessing for you. God’s heart’s desire is to love you. You can’t earn His love, achieve it, buy it, deserve it, or be good enough. God’s love is free. It’s a gift. It’s called grace. There is this great God of ours who says, “I made you. I put you on this earth because I wanted you here. I breathed a piece of myself into you. I have crowned you with glory and honor. I have written your name on my hand, and out of billions of people in this world I can call you out by name. I have sacrificed everything for you for one reason. It is because I love you. I believe in you. I value you.” What would happen today if you just let God love you and let God fill you with the blessing?
– Dr. Tim Thompson