lately.

I've done a lot of driving lately.

{Seriously. Close to 1500 miles in the past 11 days.}

I've started learning Russian lately.

{So far I know the alphabet and numbers 1-10.}

I've tried to start reading again lately.

{I've read maybe 100 pages within the last year. And that's probably being generous.}

I've been learning to love lately.

{It's harder than it looks. It's also more rewarding than I could've imagined.}

I've been worrying about money lately.

{I guess that makes me normal.}

I've gotten really into fresh fruit lately.

{It just tastes so good.}

I've been skyping a lot lately.

{It helps me to miss my faraway friends less.}

I've been learning lately.

Learning about myself.

Learning about others.

Learning about God.

Learning about peace.

Learning about contentment.

It's funny how you can have all the degrees in the world, but there's always going to be more to learn.

I guess that's why we have God.

Friends.

Experiences.

Pain.

They shape us into who we are. They teach us things we couldn't learn any other way.

I was listening to the radio today as I was driving. The question was posed, "How can I know God loves me?"

Sunday School answer?

Jesus loves me this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

(Or I guess there's always Romans 5:8... "God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.")

Real answer?

I'm not sure.

The question is so simple and so fundamental that we tend to gloss over it.

It's one of those things that I've always accepted as truth without questioning it or giving it much thought.

I got stuck on this question.

I thought about it for a while, discovered I didn't have any conclusions, and then promptly dismissed it.

And then I started reading some old journal entries of mine.

I came across one where I'd written, "Bondye konnen tout bagay. Bondye komprann tout bagay."

God knows everything. God understands everything.

Such a simple couple of sentences. But such a comforting concept.

I realized that was my answer.

How can we know God loves us? He knows everything and understands everything.

He has it all under His control. He knows what's happening, even when we don't. (Especially when we don't.)

He knows everything. He understands everything.

Everything.

My finite mind can't even understand the concept of everything.

But who cares? God knows it. He gets it.

Of course He does; He made it.

And He loves His creation.

"But what is man that You are mindful of him?"

--Psalm 8:4a