I Love You This Much!

Theresa, a younger blogging friend, has been kind enough to give this sweet award to me. I like going to Theresa's blog, called "A Note From Theresa,", because she is a woman who loves God, her family, her country, and her church. I like reading her heartfelt posts on these issues. But she likes to have fun too, as I do, and she even loves the hymns, as I do. We both like sports, but on that we separate--we don't like the same teams!

Anyway, in receiving this award and passing it on to others, I was impressed by a little extra benefit from reading Theresa's words: I was impressed by the humility she displayed in confessing her shortcomings. All of us would do well to follow her example when we come face to face with our failings. And believe me, our sins WILL confront us. If they don't, then something's wrong. So reading her post was a special blessing for me as is always the case when I see this grace (a humble spirit) manifested in the life of a child of God.

My favorite commentator, J.C. Ryle, often speaks of humility. In his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, he said this of John the Baptist:

A frame of mind like this is the highest degree of grace to which mortal man can attain. The greatest saint in the sight of God is the man who is most thoroughly "clothed with humility." (1 Peter 5:5) . . . Let us covet earnestly the best gifts; but above all, let us covet humility. The way to true honour is to be humble. No man ever was so praised by Christ as the very man who says here, "I must decrease,"--the humble John the Baptist. ~ John C. Ryle

So I thank Theresa for the award, but also for the opportunity to post this quote. And insofar as passing the award on, you know that I shrink from naming names. Those of you who are special to me know who you are. There are some of you whom I wish I could meet face to face. But, of course, in glory we'll meet someday. Thanks for being faithful to me, my bloggy friends; it's been a special part of my life. I'm thankful I started blogging two years ago, all because of each of you. You're special and I love you this much!