Unconditional Love

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly." Psalm 85:8
I was struck by this verse the other day, and my thought was that if I don't have peace in my heart, then I need to start listening to God. I was aware of a lack of peace in me, the chronic kind that goes back as far as I can remember, so that it's now a way of life.
Later I was on the phone with my sister, and I told her that I don't do instant messaging because I feel bad when I have to end the conversation. She said, why do we have so much guilt? I said, "I don't know."
Then yesterday I told my daughter Liz that I could pick her up when she was done with classes, around 1:00. But I had forgotten that I was having lunch at a friend's house and wouldn't be available to pick Liz up. I couldn't call my daughter while she was in class, so I just became preoccupied with worry that she'd be angry at me. I had no reason to be worrying about this. She called me mid-morning and I apologized and told her she'd have to stay at school and take the bus home. She wasn't angry at all.
I share this because this is how my mind works every day. I wrote in my journal that I get tired of feeling condemned. In my mind it's not OK to be imperfect or to not make life go smoothly. Because perfection is the only way to stop the (inaudible) accusing, angry voice. I keep expecting everyone, even God, to be angry at me if I mess up even a little.
I decided to read Romans 8 because I like the part where it says, God is the one justifies; who is he that condemns? That's verses 33-34. But when I started reading, God was speaking to my need long before verse 33. Verse one says, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Thank You Lord!
Then I went to Hosea 2 because it's such a beautiful story of how God approaches sinful people. He says, "I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor (trouble) as a door of hope; she shall sing there....And it shall be, in that day," says the Lord, "that you will call Me 'My Husband', and no longer call Me 'My Master,' for I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [idols], and they shall be remembered by their name no more." ....."I will betroth you to Me forever"....."Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' and they shall say, 'You are my God!'" There's not an ounce of anger or condemnation in this. Instead the Lord not only is going to marry the sinful woman, He also is going to give her a heart that loves and worships Him, so that she forgets her love of idols. He does it all!
To close, I'm going to share some lyrics from 10th Ave. North that I heard when I was worried that Liz would be mad. This was very comforting to me, and I think it reflects God's heart. The song is "By Your Side":
Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let Me lift up your face
Just don't turn away......
'Cause I'll be by your side whenever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you.