By Doug Creamer

I have been thinking about the word love since Sunday school last week. I will get to the spiritual side of my thoughts in a minute. I have been thinking about how often we use the word love. I think by its overuse we have diluted its meaning. Love is a profound word that deserves a special place in our hearts and our vocabulary.

I heard myself say to someone recently, “I love being a teacher.” It’s true. My boss told me recently that being a teacher was what God created me to do. Naturally, I love doing what God made me to do. Nothing excites me more than seeing a student learn something, apply it, and find success in executing what they learned.

I love all the food we eat during the holiday season. Starting with Thanksgiving through the New Year, we eat some of the best food that is served all year long. My mouth waters just sitting here thinking about all the great food. I love eating the food and sharing some special time with family and friends.

I love snow! I do not want to live in a place that gets six feet of snow inside of a week. Well, let’s be honest, I love anything to do with weather. I follow storms year-round because I find them so fascinating. I love snow, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and even beautiful sunny days like today.

I love reading and writing. I am reading an excellent book right now. I love how the author is spending so much time on character development. I have several writers who captivate me with their stories and characters. I love writing and trying to create stories and columns that people will enjoy.

I love praying. It’s hard to imagine that the God who created the entire universe has time and wants to hear from me. Yet every time I turn to talk with Him, He is right there. It’s like He is waiting for the opportunity to talk with me. It is amazing to think that my prayers reach God and He cares enough about me to answer them.

I love gardening and going for walks. Except for a few barking dogs, I live in a quiet neighborhood. I really enjoy being out in the garden working the soil and planting seeds or seedlings. I love watching things grow and enjoying the fruits of my labor. I love walking peacefully and enjoying God’s presence. I love talking with Him and treasure the quiet moments in His presence.

Do you see how often we use the word love? I think when we do that we diminish what the word love really means. Consider that God so loved the world that He gave His Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. God loves us. If you have been going to church for any length of time you have heard it. You know about God’s love and you might even know some related scriptures, too.

The deeper question is do you understand it and believe that God really loves you more than you could ever imagine? My Sunday school teacher said something on Sunday that I already knew, but the deeper reality hit me. Before God created anything He already knew that we were going to blow it. He made plans to send Jesus to make a way for us to have a relationship with Him. He knew I would blow it and still loved me enough to fix it.

In the parable of the prodigal son the father lets the boy go and blow everything but all the while the father still loved his son. As soon as the son was visible the father took off running to meet him. God knew mankind was going to blow it and He put the plan to fix it in place before He created us. That is love. We can’t do anything to earn His love. We already have it. We can’t fail so badly that He would turn His back on us. If we choose to walk away, He stands there looking for us to come home. Why? Because He loves us!

I want to encourage you to open your heart this Christmas to God’s love. If you have turned your back on Him, walked away from church, think you have committed too many sins or believe you are unlovable…turn around and see His great love. He is waiting for you with open arms. He loves you! His love, grace and mercy are waiting for you. Come to the manger. Come back to God. Let His love envelop you.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.