Mattering

You matter to God. You MATTER to God. YOU matter to God. You matter to GOD.

I can picture it in my head, the woman on stage at Willow Creek Community Church pantomiming the words, pointing at me, clutching her hands to her chest and then pointing up to the sky while the words "you matter to God" reverberated through the auditorium. It was the crux of Bill Hybels evangelistic message, and I thought I knew it already.

Anyone who believes in the creator God knows that we matter, why else would he have taken the time to form us? But have you ever learned something that you thought you already knew? I seem to be doing this a lot lately. Things as simple as "God loves me" have become deep and profound and new, like I never really got it before. That I am forgiven and covered by grace, not just for the big things that I gave up long ago, but also for the little things that add up day after day and make me feel inadequate to call myself a Christian has made grace new and shiny and deep as I dive into its depths again and again and again.

And now in the last few weeks, these words: "You matter to God," have struck their mark. I knew that my body, my gifts, my talents, my obedience, my soul all mattered to God. But now I see more.

The other day my husband and I were talking about my lifelong desire to own a dog. My whole life (except for three brief years) having a dog has been too messy, inconvenient, expensive or impractical. My pleading, my tears, my overwhelming desire did not matter in comparison to these. But as I lay in bed the other night my husband looked into my eyes and said, "Leah, if you need a dog, I'll get you a dog tomorrow."

My heart was overwhelmed. (I remembered that it is good to marry well.) And I thought how amazing it is that my heart's desires matter to somebody.

I felt silly, too. Clearly I don't need a dog. But I want one and I desperately want my children to have one as they grow up, as well. I began a search online for the perfect puppy, and low and behold, I found it!

She is part labrador retriever and part golden retriever and she is sweet and beautiful, and as my 7-year-old says, she has made life better, "life is just better with a dog."

I know that just because I have a desire, does not mean that God or my husband will meet it, but this year I'm feeling pretty spoiled, and maybe that's okay.

God communicates with each of us in different ways, and this year He's given me a puppy and a crazy dance party with (almost) all of my favorite friends, just to let me know that I matter to Him.
Pretty cool.

Just in case there was any doubt, you matter to Him, too.:)