in the Image

I promise that the story of Sunday is coming...my internet stopped working last night in the middle of doing my post.

I'm at school waiting. These past few days have been intense...really, really intense. Sam and Dorothy and Arden are here, but I still have to go to school. Plus, during this short half of a week, I've run into situations that are new to me. New and terrible. And they're all over the world, but they've never been in my face. And now, I have to see them in my life, in my friends' lives. And, I guess, I don't really know what to say...or to write.

Writing is therapeutic, I find. Even though I've never considered myself a "writer." I've actually thought, "I could never do that. I could never major in literature." Which, I couldn't. But writing is therapeutic all the same.

Actually what I wanted this post to be about is something I realized today. I am made in the image of God. I guess we "know" that about ourselves; I think what I actually realized is that I am made in the image of my wonderful Creator, and those ways that I am made in His image, those are visible, and tangible, and not just an idea floating around in the cosmos.

The one I've seen so far is how I love who people are. I love people. God made me a people-person, as it has often been described by my parents (thank the Lord they realize that He made me that way...). Today, my brother was preaching in chapel, and he mentioned how one of the hugest points (if not the most major) of our Christian lives is to know the character of God, to get to know who HE is.

And that's when I realized (or, maybe the Lord pointed out to me) that that's why I love people. And, I think that's delightful. That I love being with people, and knowing and loving who they are because that's the way the One who I love is. He is to be known; and He knows us. He knows our innermost parts intimately.

And it is right for me to want to know others, because I was made to want to know God. I was made to recognize character and adore the nature of HIM.

And desire for friendship: God is never alone, right? The three members of the Trinity are so unified, but now that I think about it, I have always thought of a certain sense of friendship between them.

That adds so much significance to one's life. To know that the ways God made me are intimately designed and infinitely valuable. I love Jesus because of who He is. And I would agree that those things that make up who He is are good. Here we find the answer to self-hatred. Those elements of Jesus' character are good. And He made us like Him...in His image.

We sin, we mess it up. It's harder to see the ways that we are made in God's image.

But then, Jesus saved us. He saved us. He redeemed our hearts. And not just our eternal lives...He redeemed who we are. Jesus reminds us that we are made in His image. And we are part of that creation that God said was good. Our identity turns into who Jesus is. We still mess up and need to repent and turn around, but Paul says: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Galations 2:20)

So I am worth it. You are worth it. And it's true because Jesus said it is. And He proved it. And we can accept it.

Goodbye insignificance. You can go now.