and He even loves the messy.

John Mark McMillan wrote the song How He Loves. The story behind it is beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao

After watching that, i was struck by how many truths i so often overlook. John McMillan went through a tragedy and is able to see God's unrelenting love, yet here i sit in my comforted life with reminders all around me, and i forget that i can't stop the unrequited love of my Savior. The song John McMillan wrote is more than a song to me, it's a constant refresher of how the Lord's love overwhelms every sin, every action, every doubt and fear and anger i have. It reminds me that no part of me is unloved. we american-ize the word love. we turn it into a cliche term used for meaningless affection or desire of something. the true meaning of love, however, is found upon a cross, where my Savior poured out His blood for my broken, messy, and kind of gross life.

"i really needed some sort of conversation with God. there were some things i needed to say"

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realise just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

"the love i'm singing about in that song is really, is not a pretty clean. it's not a hollywood hot pink love. its a um, a kind of love thats willing to love things that are messy, and willing to love even the difficult. and sort of umm you know, kind of gross kind of things."

oh how He loves us so. oh how He loves us. how He loves us so.

"in this frustrated perious, in my anger and in my resentment, and in my frustration, He could still love me through that. you know, and in this process of dealing with life He could love me through that and He was ok, He wasnt offended by the fact that i was angry at God."

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

"this song isn't a celebration of weakness and anger, its a celebration of a God who would want to hang with us through those things, who would want to be a part of our lives through those things and despite of who we are He would want to be a part of us and be a part of our community and be a part of our family. and thats the kind of love i think i'm talking about."

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way…

He loves us. Oh how He loves us. Oh how He loves us.

How He loves us so.

-all quotes by John Mark McMillan. The man who i thank for reminding me of the all-consuming love i get to experience.