"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14).

He was sick that day, it turns out. The day he hadn't come to classes, the day I figured he had rejected me because of what I'd shared about my dating history, the day I drove in the blinding rain to his house to come face-to-face with abandonment: he had just had a bad cold, that was all.

But on that drive, my windshield wipers swiping, my hands busy tear-wiping, so much water everywhere, I asked the Lord. Begged the Lord. Come and be with me, Lord. I can't have You leave me, too.

And when he peered out over the metal clanking part of the screen door, and when I pushed past his tissue-stuffed nostrils to try to defend myself against the paper tiger of disdain, he promptly tucked my heart next to his. And it has stayed there ever since.

So, my sisters, God Himself has come to dwell among us not because we're perfect and never made a mistake. Not because we've performed well and dated all the right people. Not because we've impressed Him with our emotional maturity in our early 20s. He took on our human form because we so desperately need Him. And He will not reject us, abandon us, scorn us in our time, our lifetimes of need.

He tucks us inside His Sacred Heart and calls us His very own.

Open your heart to His, sister. He's longing for it.

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This book by a French mystic plumbs the depths of God's abiding dwelling within us.

Nell O'Leary is a recovering lawyer turned blogger, speaker, and sewer of baby goods while tending to her husband and four kiddos in the great city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. She serves as Managing Editor for Blessed is She and can down a hot cocoa in no time flat. Find out more about her here. She is the editor of our Blessed Conversations Series and guide for the Gift of You course.