Sometimes it takes some time

I'm not usually too "churchy" on the blog, at least not so blatantly, but I felt like I should post this.

Over the years, I've served in the Young Women's program of our church a number of times (5, I think) serving as advisor, counsellor and President. Anyone who knows about that program, especially the program 15 years ago is familiar with "The Values" focused on in the program. Janice Kapp Perry and Joy Lundberg wrote a set of songs to focus on the values and I loved the music. Still do. There is a song called "I Am of Infinite Worth" that corresponds to the value of Individual Worth. I had listened to that song at least probably 50 times when one day, I was listening to it in my family room. I was sitting in our old Bentwood rocker and folding laundry. Suddenly, the lyrics hit home to me in a way they never had before.

"All I need do is remember if ever I wonder if I am of worth, remember my Savior; what he did for me when he walked among men on this earth. Pain and unspeakable sorrow he bore for my sins there, in Gethsemane, then he gave up his life as he hung on the cross AND HE DID IT ALL FOR ME! Yes, I am of worth, of infinite worth, my Savior, Redeemer loves me. Yes, I am of worth, of infinite worth, I'll be all he wants me to be... Lovingly, Jesus is watching. He knows I am worth all he suffered for me. Now I must fulfill my own mission in life, ever following him faithfully...".

I was raised in a church that taught me that Jesus died for me, but I never understood that He didn't HAVE to die, he could have gone on living forever on (or off) the cross if He chose to. He WAS half God, after all. I interpreted the teaching that "he died for me" more as "he was killed for me". Not the same thing. And, thank goodness he did, because if he never died, he wouldn't have been resurrected. And, if he was never resurrected, we wouldn't be able to be resurrected. And, if there is no resurrection, then what is the reason for life here? So, what I'm trying to get to is that we really are worth a whole lot to him---- individually---not just as a part of the mass of humanity for him to have done what he did. For me. For you. For all of us.

And, while I have my days that I have a hard time seeing what difference I'm making here thankfully, those days are few and far between. And, I know like I never knew before that I'm worth a lot!!!!! And I try to remember that about everyone I meet. Sometimes I forget that. But, I really do know it. Knowing and forgetting is different than not knowing.

Thank you JoyLundberg.