PLEASE KNOW TODAY THAT YOU ARE LOVED AND CARED FOR BY OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS WITH A LOVE THAT FAR, FAR SURPASSES ANY LOVE THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE
I continue to wait for healing and restoration -- lots of thoughts today about the long journey that I have been on and what I have learned about God Our Almighty Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus who remain sovereign and in ultimate control no matter what struggles, hurts and pains we are going though -- who have promised to stay with us, hold us in Their everlasting and compassionate arms when we are hurting and understand us and our struggles far better than we ourselves understand them and never leave us, even when we doubt Their presence and Their unfailing love and Their amazing grace. Today I have been thinking about sometimes there is nothing more important that you can do for someone who is hurting physically or emotionally or mentally than to hold their hand gently, even hug them, and assure them that Lord Jesus loves them and is with them and cares deeply about them and promises, always, to make things right for them and restore them and that their hurt, pain and sorrow is also felt deeply by Jesus, breaks Jesus' humungous heart -- because we have a God with a humungous heart that just pours out love and affection on us -- and that they have a God who has the almighty power far beyond any human being to heal what hurts them and makes things right for them -- because Lord Jesus is a righteous and almighty and compassionate God who lives amongst us and is, indeed, also coming back soon as an Almighty and Glorious King and because Jesus is the one and only hope for us when we are hurting and in pain and need restoration and reconciliation with loved ones and friends. The answer to our sorrows and hurts and struggles is always Jesus and so many people in the world do not know these things about Lord Jesus, sadly feel as if nobody cares about them and their plights, but that is simply not true at all. And I see as my mission to continue to tell people about Lord Jesus' care and affection and love and great heart for them and be and model my life after Lord Jesus' life as much as possible -- that is Our Almighty Heavenly Father's compassionate and loving will for all of us -- to be become more and more like Jesus by caring for one another and loving one another and showing compassion to one another and making this world a better place for those who are suffering and hurting and needing to be loved and cared for -- a deep, deep human need to be seen, acknowledged, heard and held in the arms of a loving and everlasting and compassionate God who walks with us through our lives and carries us through our lives -- Christ with us and through us. I know these are the purposes behind my struggles and pains and hurts these past years -- to learn about who Jesus really is so that I can be like to Jesus to others walking the same path and going through difficult journeys. I have heard that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations and I feel very blessed to have all of the gifts, however modest, that Lord Jesus has given to me and I have led a beautiful, amazing life, even in the midst of suffering and struggle. But I feel that much good is coming soon and better days are ahead and Lord Jesus sent a beautiful thunderstorm to where I live today and I always feel Lord Jesus' might and power and glory when it storms like that and most of all, Lord Jesus' powerful presence. So, if you are hurting today, please know that you have a Lord and Savior who is with you, who loves you tremendously and who will most definitely bind and heal your wounds and restore your joy and your peace and your heart no matter how broken that heart is. Sometimes we have to wait with unanswered questions, yet His timing we must trust is always perfect and Jesus always has our best interests in heart and mind. WITH GREAT LOVE AND AFFECTION, IN JESUS' HOLY NAME, DIANE K. OLSON