Are you God's "Umbrella"?

Recently a neighbor posted on our neighborhood social media site:

"During the recent storm someone 'borrowed' our umbrella that was on our front porch.  If they could kindly return it, that would be great.  It has no real value other than sentimental."

I was walking The Monster (Pepper) shortly thereafter and ran into this neighbor.  I was happy to hear the umbrella had been returned and he sheepishly confessed that it had just blown into a bush.

I had to ask him what made such a common place item so special to him.  He smiled and said "It is silly, really.  The umbrella isn't worth anything but it was given to me when I retired so it means something to me."

I continued along my walk and had one of those God moments.  You know, that umbrella was nothing special, easily replaceable, and surely another umbrella could have served the same function of keeping the rain off.  But it mattered to my friend, John, because it was HIS.  He gave it value because of what it meant to him.  The umbrella couldn't give that value to itself.  If a human can care about an umbrella that has sentimental value, surely our CREATOR cares more than a little about us, right?

So often we feel just like everyone else. We think we are nothing special and replaceable.  There is always someone smarter, better, and more beautiful.  But God didn't create us to be the "best" He created us to be "His." He attributes value simply because He loves us.  It's like He is saying "Could someone kindly return my child?  She may not mean anything to you, but I am very sentimental about her."

Can you (and I) allow ourselves to be special and cherished today simply because He loves us?  How would your life, my life, be different if we lived in that Truth?