Advent 12/17/22 Sacred Space

A Loving Home Saturday, December 17

2 Samuel 7:23-29 (NRSV)

Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things, driving out nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt? And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
 
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“I Knew I Loved You” is a song by Savage Garden. It’s not just any song, but our wedding song. And today isn’t just any day-- on the 17th we celebrate 17 years of marriage. I chose this date because of the importance of the day. However, I realized maybe the date chose me.

David has a desire to build the first temple as a house for God, very similar to what Jeremy and I have built-- a home for our family. Many times I struggle with deserving what I have. Deserving the love I have from my partner. Deserving the home we built with all our children. Deserving the love I receive from God. “Surely this is too much for me. I truly don’t deserve this.” Just when God begins to pour it on, it gets hard to take. “Oh no it’s just too much for me. I don’t deserve that.”

There is one thing I really need to learn, and I am sure I am not alone. We must learn to accept grace gracefully. God loves you, and He does it for you just because he loves you. Not because you deserve, not because you’re worthy. It wasn’t because David was so good or deserving. I spent half my life not feeling safe in a home. I spent the other half of my life not feeling like I deserved the loving home I have helped build. Even broken, even not worthy, but certainly grateful with the help of God, I have slowly realized our HOME is a sacred place.

I knew I loved you before I met you. I think I dreamed you into life. I knew I loved you before I met you. I have been waiting all my life. When I hear this, I think of three things. I think of Jeremy. I knew I loved him before I knew him. I knew I wanted that kind of partner. I think of my children. I knew I wanted to be a mother and I loved every one of them before I met them. I think of God. I think of creation, and I think about Him as a parent loving us and dreaming of us! I hope you think of your sacred space and know you are loved.

-Jenelle Gross