The stuff of real Salvation

About 14 years ago I was sitting with my then 9 year old daughter on a couch at home watching TV.

My daughter was not feeling well.

She did not look good.

She began to speak.

"Dad, I'm going to be-----"

Then she kind of pebble dashed my clothes!

Listen, I hate sick.

It can make me pass out if I see it!

Because it was one of my precious girls, it was kind of OK.

I just wanted to help her.

I wanted her to be OK.

I love her so much that the sick didn't matter.

Why am I saying this? ( Oh and sorry Bailey if your reading this. I guess I've embarrassed you yet again!)

So this morning I'm sitting having my soup with Barry, a very lonely guy who lives on his own, and has virtually nothing. He doesn't keep clean and his clothes are a little dishevelled.

He wanted to thank us for sorting a food parcel out for him last Friday.

As I was talking to him I could see through our window at S21, straight into the posh hairdressers that occupy the shop directly opposite us. I saw a beautiful blonde girl having her hair done. The hairdresser was paying meticulous attention to her gorgeous hair, creating a no doubt stunning look for this girl.

I felt the gap.

The gap between her life and Barry's was to me obviously massive.

She was beautiful, clean and could afford the no doubt expensive price of her hair do.

Here was Barry. Dirty, dishevelled and virtually penniless. Having to eat a bowl of soup in a Salvation Army Hall with me, otherwise he may not have had any food.

I really felt the gaping wideness of the gap.

The gap weirdly felt a bit Godless.

Cue God.

He dropped the flashback of Bailey being sick on me into my thoughts.

He dropped it right into the gap I was feeling.

(Thanks God!)

He sent that flashback to remind me of something simple yet eternally stunning.

He completely loves us.

Totally and unconditionally.

Whoever we are.

Whatever we do.

It's the stuff of real salvation.

I thought to myself how come I cannot bear to see someone be sick, but when it was my daughter I didn't care?

Easy.

I love her so much.

So whatever she does including throwing up on me really doesn't change that.

How much more does God our father think of us?

God accepts us totally.

And I mean totally.

He stepped into my self created gap that I built in my head between Barry and the girl I saw in the hairdressers.

And reminded me.

In his eyes there is no gap.

There is no gap in how he sees everyone.

Yes.

Everyone.

He sees Barry the same as he sees the girl.

He sees me exactly the same way.

Which brings me to why I've churned out this blog post.

He sees you the same.

Yeah.

You.

You, the person who is reading this and feels so far from God the gap seems unbridgeable?

You, the person who has been hurt by the gap that you think stands between you and some seemingly high and mighty person. (And its driving you mad)

You the person who feels so unworthy you feel you can't possibly approach God.

Listen up.

There is no gap.

God loves us equally, totally and absolutely nothing can change that.

I was there that night for my sick daughter.

God is there totally for us.

No matter what.

I pray this helps someone tonight.