Oh How He Loves Me

If He dresses the lilies

with beauty and spender

How much more will He clothe you?

How much more will He clothe you?

If He watches over

every sparrow

How much more does He love you?

How much more does He love you?

-Elevation Worship & Maverick City Worship, "Jireh"

Have you come across a song lately that resonated in your spirit? I'm not just talking about a tune that  repeats in your head, but speaks to who you are, where you are. It sheds light on your current situation, validating your feelings and head space. It reminds you to be okay with not being okay while informing you of a solution to your problem simultaneously. 

The last song that did this to me was "Laughter Does Good (Like a Medicine)" by BeBe Winans and Korean Soul. I was introduced to this song while undergoing a sinus infection about 2-3 years ago. The doctor prescribed me antibiotics and steroids to open up my sinuses. While eating and sitting outside of Kroger one evening, I had the song on repeat, being reminded that sometimes, doing what you don't feel like doing is the best way to get through hard times. It was difficult for my nasal cavity to become less inflamed and I was getting frustrated. 

The next day, a friend and I were due to present poetry to an undergrad classroom instructed by a close friend of ours. I was thinking to myself, how in the world am I going to present feeling like this? It appeared impossible for me to enter that classroom without coughing or having liquid drip from my nose. The pressure in my forehead was worsening and I felt helpless. It wasn't until I started listening to this song where I begin to cry, thus opening up my sinuses. When you cry, the tears mix with your mucus, thus causing a flow through your nose. A sinus infection needs water to loosen the sinuses and cause necessary drainage. Though I was crying, it was actually helping me relieve sinus pressure. How about that! Not only was I crying, I was crying out of happiness. I was reminded that facing the next day was inevitable, for God had already seen it coming. Everything I needed to get through the experience was instilled in me before I was born. 

If you go back to Genesis chapter 1 and 2, you will notice that the Garden of Good and Evil was created before Adam was formed. Everything Adam needed to complete his purpose was created before he was fashioned from Earth's dirt (Genesis 2:7). "Like a Medicine" also reminded me of just how much God loves me. Being loved creates no better feeling. It's a guarantee that someone is always fighting on your behalf, no matter the flaws. It means someone is making room for you to grow, to be healed, and to be of great help and contribution to others.

Going back to the initial lyrics mentioned, I notice the connection between then and now. I'm currently undergoing an infection (I get at least once a year). Everyone is different. It may last a week or two or nearly a month (with medication). I was fasting social media during the beginning of this season, for I was seeking confirmation from God about a particular decision. The line How much more does He love you? rang in my head throughout the day. It was the internal praise I had , even when I didn't feel like lifting my hands or bending down to the floor. 

The chronic reminder of my value validates my existence. It assures me I am alive and crafted into God's design to further His kingdom. The song repeats the line as if to remind you of one of many God's unfailing promises. How often would you like to be told that you are in good, good hands? Wouldn't it be nice for your guide to reassure you that though things may be rough, you will make it to the other side where you will be safe and contained? It was something I needed to hear. Everything we can ever ask for, whether we need or want, can be supplied if only it aligns with what God wants for us... and if what He wants is the best, what more should we desire? 

This song has been downloaded and stored in my music archive. I'm going to need it for current and future battles. I praise God for being what He always is....and that's good. Despite my circumstances, God...is always good natured. He's slow to anger and keeps no record of wrong doing. He sees us at our best...for He placed the best in us. I personally praise Him by asking myself, How much more does He love you? , for if He can dress lilies with beauty and splendor and watch over every sparrow, He can surely tend to me and my needs.