God Just...IS

I learned a great lesson from my little Samantha tonight.

She has this cute little game lately. She leans in real close, looks you in the eye, and says, "Know what?" I naturally ask, "What?" And she says "Babble, babble, babble, babble." Then she'll giggle and start all over with "Know what?" It's so cute!

Another Samantha-ism of late is being oh-so-contrary. It must be a two thing. Everything is "No" or "Yucky" or "Don't want to". It, on the other hand, is not so cute.

These two things came together in an interesting way tonight as we were playing. She leaned in and said "Know what?" "What" "Mama, Daddy, swimming, Yaya, Papa, goo goo da boo dah" (giggle, giggle) :)

I decided to play along. I leaned in real close and whispered, "Hey Sammy, know what?"

And with a sparkle in her eye, she responded "What?"

I whispered, "I love you."

She leaned in with a whisper of her own, "NO!"

I kept saying "Yup, I love you." And she'd respond with a proud and defiant chin in the air and arms crossed over her stubborn little chest..."NO!" We went 'round several times.

Finally I said, "Samantha, my sweet, you can deny it all you want. Just because you say 'no' doesn't mean it isn't so! Mommy loves you and there's nothing you can do about it, that's just the way it is!"

Well...that was probably too many words for a two year old. She just gave me a blank look and repeated her opposition to the whole idea. But it turns out, my words were not for her after all. They were for me. As soon as they came out of my mouth, I could almost hear the Spirit saying "YES!"

I am so thankful that God just IS. He is not defined by me. He is not relative to me or my ideas or my stubbornness or my circumstances in any way.

He loves me even when I think he shouldn't or when I think maybe he doesn't.

He saved me through the blood of Jesus alone... even when I have doubt or fear of performance-anxiety about life.

He watches over me and has a plan for me...a plan to prosper me and not harm me, even when it doesn't seem so.

He saved me by his own blood...whether or not I think that's a good or wise or fair plan.

Even if not a single soul believes in him or seeks him out...he is still there, and he is not changed one bit through all that doubt.

He just IS. Praise God…That’s just the way it is.

"And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM." Exodus 3:14a