Growing up, my dad would say every day when he dropped us off at school, “Remember who you are and whose you are.” My parents divorced during my elementary years, and those car rides ended with my dad. But those words did not. 

 In Romans 8:31 we read, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

 His love never fails. Nothing can separate us from his unfailing love.  Not time or problems or loss or enemies. Unexpected circumstances, hardships, money problems, lost loved ones - none of these things can separate us from His unfailing love. No thing and no one can separate us from His unfailing love.

 Do you know what else can’t separate us from his unfailing love? 

Us. 

 You and me. 

 We sometimes think we have separated ourselves from His love, right?  With our sin, our bad attitudes, our failures.

 Sometimes our minds run a million miles a minute with regrets, what if’s, and feelings of inadequacy. But He wants us just like we are and he promises to never fail us. He wants to take us and mold us into more than we could ever imagine—into vessels of righteousness displayed for Him. Regardless of what losses we experience in life, there is One we can be assured that we will never lose. We can clearly see this assurance in Romans 8

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything, else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

 In August of 2017, my dad was gone from this earth and a gaping hole was left in my heart. We were super close. We talked on the phone almost daily. I was left feeling so alone and I simply couldn’t imagine how I would continue through this life without ever hearing his voice again. 

 But my Heavenly Father’s love has never failed me.  I was never separated from His Love. Even in those days when I felt completely alone, He was with me.

After much time seeking the Lord and doing lots of soul searching, I am confident that I can carry on because my Heavenly Father is always with me. He is what I need. He gets me. After all, He made me. I’ve come to realize that I can’t expect any one person on this earth to fill any void in me. My fulfillment must come from the Lord or I will end up disappointed every time. 

 “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

 I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away.” 

(“Reckless Love” Caleb Culver/Cory Asbury/Ran Jackson)

 His love never fails. 

So, what does that mean for us in terms of living that out before others? It means that because His love for us never fails, we can rest in that love and trust His love no matter what happens. And because we are leaning on His unfailing love, we can freely display unfailing, reckless love for others.

Will it be hard at times? YES.

Is it worth it? YES.

When I remember who I am and whose I am, I can go about life filled with His unfailing love and I can pour that out onto others.  We need those reminders daily. Through worship, prayer and the Word we can take in His truth and harness the Holy Spirit’s power to rise above our negative self-talk and messages that push us down into those spiraling thoughts.  We are not alone. We are never forsaken. His love has not and will not fail us.

 I miss my dad every day. Life won’t ever be the same. But even in the light of living on this side of eternity without him, I can still be fulfilled and go about my days knowing I’m loved unconditionally by my Heavenly Father.

He’s our good, good Father and has amazing plans for us beginning right where we are today.

-Amanda Cline

Dedicated in loving memory of Randy Watson (my daddy)