Put Your Head On His Shoulder

For many years I struggled with poor self-worth.  If I walked into a room of ladies, I always felt that I was the "different" one...and I don't mean different in a good way.  I saw myself as "less than" and "not as-good-as".  Have you ever felt that way?

It wasn't until the Holy Spirit began to reveal the beautiful, restoring, forgiving, compassionate love of Jesus, that I even dared think of myself as one whom Jesus would consider loving.

That's why I love the apostle, John.  He refers to himself as "the one whom Jesus loved".  He could have referred to himself as the brother of James, a fisherman, a disciple, or the one who loved Jesus.  Each would have been an adequate description.  But he chose a title of grace...not a description of something earned, but a description of grace received.

John had an amazing relationship with Jesus.  In John 13:23, it says, "One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder."  (The Message)

At one of the darkest times in Jesus' life, John was laying against Him with his head on Jesus' shoulder. John must have felt such a sense of grace-given worth and love.  To have felt so welcomed and comfortable in the arms of Jesus would have been heaven.  That's the intimate relationship I yearned for...

For me, it was a long arduous process...believing that Jesus would not just tolerate me, but would actually invite me to recline against Him with my head on His shoulder.  It took me many years to accept my grace-given worth.  But oh, how precious it it to now be able to say, "I'm Mary, the one Jesus loves". 

How about you?  Have you embraced your grace-given worth?  You can't work for it, earn it, achieve it, or deserve it.  It's given freely by our sweet Savior.  It allows you to recline against Him with your head on His shoulder.  How awesome is that?!

Love and blessings,
Mary