How deep

Today was one of those days that the work piled up... literally. I have teetering stacks of journals to check and piles of ungraded papers that seem to multiply each day as more students turn in their homework. I'm learning a whole new level of respect for my high school and college English teachers, because let me tell you something... grading papers can wear on you.

As I was slowly whittling down the mountain of homework assignments and feeling the burden of a to-do list that is too large for my 24 hour days, I laid my concerns down before the Father:

Help me, Father, I cannot do this without you. I am weary and burdened. I need your rest.

And do you know what the response was that I heard?

Lauren, I love you.

So simple, yet so true... and so needed in that moment. No matter what my circumstances may suggest, the Father loves me beyond words! In fact, it is precisely in those moments when I feel bogged down by the things of this world that His love sets me free!

I sat at my desk and reflected on this sweet reminder, and this quote came to mind:

"Because of the price the Son paid, the Father cannot love us any more in this very minute, and will never love us less."

What refreshing truth! I'm telling you... it does a soul good just to sit and think about the depth of that love. The Father definitely wanted me to reflect on His love today because later in our team study time, we sang one of my favorite songs:

"How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure."

Words cannot express the love He has for me! For you! Do you hear that? He loves us. And there's nothing that can separate us from that love... neither death nor life, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation... including mountains of ungraded homework.