God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much . . . And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. -

Ephesians 2:4, 8-10 (New Life Version)

 

The New Year is almost upon us, and as always it is a time for both reflection and anticipation - both looking back on the year that has passed and looking forward to all that is ahead. Now is a good time to recall that, contrary to what many believe, God's love does not include demands. It is truly unconditional. It is not, "I'll love you if you do . . . (fill in the blank), but rather "I love you because you are who you are."

 

That is because, as this wonderful translation of Ephesians reminds us, "we are God's masterpiece," each one of us. In practical terms this means that God does not want anything FROM us. God only wants something FOR us. And what does God want for us?

In short, God wants us to know HAPPINESS.

 

That's easy enough, right?

 

Well, maybe not.

 

The trouble is, we don't always know how to get these things, so God tries to show us the way. Again and again God points out how to go about it. If we want peace, all we need to do is trust: have faith that God is in control. If we want to belong, all we have to do is reach out to others: cherish others for who they are and they will do the same for you. Finally, and most important, if we want to know love we need only GIVE love: we need only open ourselves, to others for love to flood into our lives. These are not requirements that God demands of us. They are gifts that God hopes we will accept.

 

May we all know the wonder of these gifts in the year ahead!

 

Peace and grace,

Ernie+