The Power of Words - Desmond Tutu

Yesterday somebody phoned and hesitantly told me that they felt led to tell me that ‘God loves me.’ They felt rather awkward and concerned whether they would sound like a fool. At the time I was not sure how this well worn Christian cliché was going to make sense in my immediate life. I have a family member who is diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. She is often quoting scriptures and prophesying all kinds of things over my life and I have had to learn a healthy sense of what to take seriously and what not. One has to be so careful not to allow others to manipulate you emotionally with what they deem is happening in your life. On the other hand it is unwise not to listen to those who honestly come to your door with words of encouragement. This morning I was reading the chapter in Trevor Hudson’s book “Touched by Resurrection Love” entitled “Experiencing Resurrection Love.” It shares how Christ calls out Mary’s name and this awakens in her again her masters love. It speaks of the God who really affirms and cares about your life. He quotes from Desmond Tutu who was being interviewed and Desmond turns to the journalist and says, “ God loves you as you are, with your doubts, with your intellectual reservations, with your inability to make the leap of faith… I made you actually, and I made you as you are because I love you. Don’t try to titivate yourself. Just be you and know that I affirm you. You matter enormously to me. You matter as if you were the only human being..”