“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

Sometimes the Lord allows you to go back to places or experiences. Two weeks in a row this happened and each time I was amazed. The first had almost a twenty year time span and the other about two years. I sat in a sea of cowboy hats at both events and could not have been more thankful. The list is long, but one thing kept coming to mind, I am not the same. The Father used many things over these years to change my heart as only His love can do. This amazing love is offered, given to His children. Why in the world do we settle for less or try to earn it from other people or places? This gives us an orphan mentality and it can be so blinding. With clear eyes we see this costly offer from our Father, who calls us His children, and it can be overwhelming. This leads to a tender heart that freely declares to whom we belong, to whose love we have received. We are adopted, called children of God, and so we are. What a beautiful, finalizing declaration!