I’ve always known God loves me; I’ve been surrounded by it always. I grew up going to church and praying every night before I fell asleep. He was my best friend in school when I didn’t seem to have many others. When I was thirteen and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he told me he’d always be here for me. God has been pursing me ever since I can remember. Even after I put my faith in him and accepted him as my savior when I was a child, he’s been going after me!
I was a sinner, “control” and “worry” being my most common offenses that often overtook. When one gets too many tickets for speeding, they get their license taken away. No matter how good of a driver or even a person you are when you get a ticket, it is still there until you pay it. Even after, it stays on your record. But Jesus took all my tickets and took them upon the cross. I have no record of them. There are tickets for all sorts of my sins on Jesus’s cross. So many tickets stacked up and walled together that it makes the cross made of wood. (I just made that up, but it makes sense, right? =)) I cast off my old self and followed Jesus. Even though I had accepted Christ as a child, I was still acting of the world. I was following the motions of a ghost. When you are tied up, you are restricted. So why, when the ropes are cut off, are you still acting like you’re restricted? I was acting like a criminal, restricted for her crimes. “But Anna,” the Lord told me, “you have been freed!” At first, nothing changed on the outside, but on the inside I was becoming a different person. God’s grace has been changing me from the inside out. I am continually growing, and I realize the beauty of the cross. Because God wanted me his daughter, he sent his most priceless possession: Christ. Think of the most special person in your life and imaging them suffering of the worst kind and then being taken away from you. Take that feeling and multiply it times a hundred, and that is only part of God’s devastation. He did that for YOU.
God’s been pursuing you since before you can remember. Did you know that? It’s like a guy who comes up to a girl and says, “I love you SO much! I want to spend the rest of my life with you and take care of you and try to show you how much I love you!” Too often, the response isn’t a “yes” or “no.” When the guy proclaims his love for the girl, she responds, “I understand” and goes on with her business. People, the gospel is the proposal! Do you UNDERSTAND the gospel? Or do you accept the gospel and let it TRANSFORM you?
The gospel is beautiful, and I’ve fallen in love with God, who proclaimed his love to each and every one of us. He is my passion, and I live for him! I am passionate about the gospel and desire for all the world to hear it. I encourage you to go forth and share it, as well!
Grace and peace to every person who reads this post,
Anna Olson =)^2
Anna E. Meyer 