As young girls, my friends and I would often pick wildflowers and begin to pluck the petals off, one by one. With each petal, we would quote alternately, ‘He loves me’ and ‘He loves me not.’ This was to determine whether or not our latest beau loved us. Of course, we always hoped that the last petal would end with the affirmative.

A while back, I had been through some difficult health

challenges and my emotions were at a pretty low point. I began to feel negative and unlovable. One day, I remembered the ‘petal’ game. I felt that God was showing me that I was playing the same, silly game concerning his love for me. I was determining how much I thought he loved me based on my own changing moods. Of course, this is not reality. God’s love for us never wavers. I immediately felt reassured of his steadfast, unchang- ing and totally

reliable love.

As we come to know God better, we can be sure that the truth is never, ‘God loves me not’ but always, ‘God loves me!’

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for loving us always and

forever, in spite of what our world or our emotions sometimes

tell us. Amen