My So Loved Daughter

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

It was the most beautiful moment of my life.

My daughter, Eliana Drew Peterson, was born on August 20, 2013. Ellie was a brown-haired, brown-eyed, content, beautiful baby girl. My wife and I were absolutely ecstatic to have her.

In order to commemorate the moment, my wife scheduled the three of us to get professional pictures done within the first ten days of her being born. They were going to be her newborn pictures.

What I failed to realize was babies are often naked in their newborn pictures. Which wasn’t a big deal…

Until…

We were set to take a family picture together while I held Ellie. I guess my daughter was just relaxed in the hands of her daddy. So she proceeded to “relieve” herself all over my nice shirt.

And it wasn’t #1.

Not a good start to the picture day.

After some serious scrubbing and cleaning to get the brown tinge out of my black shirt, we were set to take some more pictures. My wife took Ellie and did a few shots of just the two of them. The two of them together is too much beauty to handle!

Then the photographer says, “Daddy, you’re up next!”

By this point, I was sure that Ellie and I were good to go. Intestines were cleared. No more relieving herself on daddy like she had 15 minutes ago.

I was wrong.

As soon as Ellie was placed in my arms, she proceeded to relax herself in daddy’s presence by clearing her bowels again all over my arm and recently cleaned shirt.

Now, if anyone else’s child had done this to me, I probably wouldn’t be the first in line to hold them a third time. Human excrement on me isn’t my favorite thing in life.

But, even though we had two uncomfortable scenes together, I picked her up again.

Not because I like to live on the “wild-side,” but because I am so in love with my daughter.

It’s a strange feeling. She doesn’t offer anything to my wife and me. She doesn’t bring in any income, or wash the dishes, or pick up her room, or do any chores.

But, I am so in love with her.

In the same way that I am absolutely in love with my daughter, regardless of her abilities, inabilities, achievements, or even when she makes my life stinkier (literally), God’s love for us is infinitely more than that kind of love that I have for Ellie.

God is so in love with YOU. Not because of your abilities, not because of your achievements, not because of what you offer Him, but because you are HIS CHILD. You are HIS.

When we realize that God’s love for us isn’t based on our performance, or how many times we have crapped on God (I’ve done my share), we are free to receive his free gift of unearned love and grace that brings joy and freedom.

Not because of anything we’ve done, but based on the simple fact that we are His.

Stop living in condemnation because of what you can and can’t do. We can never measure up to the holiness of God.

But take HOPE because of what Jesus did on the cross for you.

When we place our hope in Jesus, we are now adopted into the family of a God who is SO in love with us.

God so loves you because you are His.

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Have you ever experienced a “so loved” moment with someone in your life? Share it in the comments below.

Are you without hope?

Hope is intoxicating.

It’s untouchable, intangible, yet sought-after by many.

Hope moves us forward. It’s what wakes us up in the morning. It’s what drives us to excel at what we do.

Hope changes our present circumstances to become a desired reality.

16th century reformer, Martin Luther said,

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.

Our lives move forward because of hope. Hope in a relationship moving forward. Hope in working hard to earn a desired vacation. Hope in leaving a legacy for our kids where their reality and opportunities are greater than ours. Hope in what we do will make an everlasting impact on this world.

Without hope we get crushed under the weight of our bleak circumstances and our own weaknesses.

But what separates those who are overflowing with hope and others are desperate for a drop of it?

The Bible says in the book of Hebrews,

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Lying in the foundation of faith is hope. It’s what fuels our hope in a Creator who calls us to experience His joy. Our certainty in our Hope gives us faith to move forward in our lives.

And when our hope is placed in the eternal character and faithfulness of our God, our hope is never shaken. Hebrews calls this hope “an anchor for our souls.” It’s one you can count on.

In my limited life experience, I’ve discovered when my hope is rooted and found in my own abilities and strengths, I’m left scrambling and reeling in defeat and hopelessness.

You can’t find a true, unshakeable hope in this world. Hope is found in an eternal Person.

Many walk around this world lifeless, without hope. Longing and looking for something to fill this void. When we’re desperate for hope, we can seek it in unhealthy places – food, shopping, a bottle, sex.

We can even seek it seemingly “okay” places – a sports team, a relationship, politics.

But these places aren’t filling this bottomless cup that is left dry in our souls.

When we discover this deep-rooted, reviving hope in Jesus, everything changes.

When we realize that our desired reality is truly found in the sacrifice of a Savior and the life we can have in Him, our hope takes root and changes everything we experience and encounter.

My desire for this blog is to share that life-transforming hope with you.

• a hope that obliterates our despair.
• a hope that breathes life into our lifeless dreams.
• a hope that changes our misery to joy.
• a hope that transforms our trash into triumph.

I want to equip you to be an ambassador of hope in your workplace, in your school, in your home, in your city, and in your life.

Will you join me on this journey?

Let’s change our circumstances, place our Hope in a true foundation, and accomplish God-sized dreams which we’ve hoped in for a long time.

If you’d like to join this journey, please subscribe in the right-hand column to receive updates.

If you are already subscribed, thanks for joining me.

Let’s lean into this Hope together.

-Drew