Many years ago, our Sunday School teacher said something while elaborating on a particular lesson. She said we should endeavour to come to church even when we don’t feel like it because seeing us would make somebody’s day. That didn’t sound very spiritual. It may not rank as one of the top ten reasons to be in church. But she was making a point, that point being that whether we knew it or not, some people cared very much about us and always longed to see us. She said these people may not be among those we count our friends but God uses our very presence to lighten their day and encourage them.
(Of course, when we fellowship with others, our own burdens are also lifted and we come away more joyful, strengthened, etc.)

Maybe, you haven’t had a Sunday School teacher like mine: a woman of deep insight. But I want to tell you the same thing she told us that day. YOU ARE LOVED! Very much so!

God loves you. He has demonstrated it by sending Jesus to reconcile you to Him (Romans 5:8). But, perhaps, you can preach many more sermons on that than I can. I want you to also know that a lot of people love you, some you know of and some you don’t know. It’s all connected really because those people who love you in a wholesome manner have had that love planted in their hearts by God. So ultimately, it’s God who is loving you through them.

Over the years, I’ve seen the veracity of that Sunday School teacher’s assertion in my conversations with beloved brethren even in other churches I’ve attended since then. People want to know how I’m doing, they are excited when I look good (so I take a little more care on personal grooming than I would have otherwise) and someone once told me they didn’t know what transpired during one service because I wasn’t there. That is how worried they were! (Mind you, I wasn’t a minister, just part of the congregation quietly soaking in the atmosphere).

I’m not being vain in sharing this. I know it’s not peculiar to me. But perhaps, people have not been bold enough to tell you how much they care about you. Do not presume as a result that you’re not loved. Even if you’ve been treated badly by some, it’s not the entirety of how people see you. There are those who love your smile, who make a point to say “Hello,” who love to hear you talk, who wish you well in their hearts and pray for answers to your problems.

And I’m not just talking about family members and close friends. So even if you have none of those, do not think it means no one truly cares for you. God does and because of that, He places people in your path to demonstrate His love for you in different ways, some big, some small. Appreciate and be grateful for it all. Take none of it for granted. And return all the glory to God.

I was single until recently and because I had this revelation I’m sharing, I never felt forsaken. In fact, someone once asked me whether I ever stopped to think about my life. He wasn’t the only one thinking that way. Why? Because it baffled them that I could be so happy and content while being single for decades.

If you have a spouse, praise God! If you don’t, praise God too! God does not love the single less than the married. Jesus our Messiah, Paul the apostle, Jeremiah and Daniel, the prophets, were all single. In fact, God often goes to great lengths to show the single who are in Him how very special they are, so that they will not be unduely weighed down by sorrow. I remember Valentine’s Days during my singlehood when people I least expected celebrated me. On one occasion that left me stunned, my late brother’s wife visited and brought me some expensive gifts. By her status, that wasn’t supposed to happen.

The problem we have is that we have so pigeonholed love that we don’t often recognise it. It comes in many ways, some subtle, some bold and loud. Some of it will be confessed to you, some will not but it’s all there in the circle of life. Let no one tell you you’re not loved. You are. I will say it again for emphasis: God loves you and so do many others, some of whom you don’t know. So, lift up your chin, breathe in and let out a shout of praise ’cause YOU ARE LOVED! YOU ARE SO LOVED!!! Halleluyah!
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