God’s love

Who Are You When Nobody Needs You?

/ Baylee Snelling / Leave a comment

I’ve realized how much of adulthood is spent being needed.

Someone needs an answer.

Something needs to be done.

A problem needs to be solved.

A responsibility needs to be handled.

There is almost always someone or something asking something of us.

And after enough time…

being useful can quietly become part of our identity.

We start measuring good days by how much we accomplished.

Rest feels like something we have to earn.

Doing something simply because we enjoy it can somehow feel selfish.

And being needed begins to feel strangely similar to being valuable.

But those aren’t the same thing.

I wonder how much of my worth I’ve unknowingly attached to what I can do for other people.

Because eventually there will be moments when nobody needs anything from me.

Nothing to fix.

Nothing to accomplish.

Nothing to prove.

And who am I then?

Scripture tells me that before I ever did anything for God…

He loved me.

Before I could serve Him.

Before I could accomplish anything.

Before I could make myself useful.

I was His.

Maybe that’s something I need to remember more often.

My usefulness may change from season to season.

My responsibilities will too.

But my worth was never supposed to depend on either of them.

I don’t have to earn rest by becoming exhausted first.

I don’t have to accomplish something before I’m allowed to enjoy the day I’ve been given.

And I don’t have to be needed in order to matter.

Because before I am useful to anyone…

I am already loved by God.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”
— 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

Behind the Box

/ Baylee Snelling / 2 Comments

I found this tucked behind a box I picked up at Costco the other day.

I was just moving through the motions of my day — nothing special, just errands and the usual rhythm. But then, there it was:

A handwritten verse in orange marker, outlined in cloud shapes:

I stood there for a second, just looking at it — like I had been smacked in the face with God’s love when I least expected it.

I looked around, wondering if someone was watching, hoping to see someone smile as they saw me find it.
I even thought about leaving it behind — maybe someone else needed the reminder more than I did.
Maybe someone who didn’t know God yet.

But then it hit me.

I was the one who needed to find it.
I was the one who needed to taste and see.
I was the one who needed that gentle reminder that God is still good… right here, in the middle of my everyday.

So I tucked it in my purse and continued on my way —
pushing the cart with little feet kicking along,
feeling the truth settle into my heart again:

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

And oh, how blessed I am.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”
— Psalm 34:8 (KJV)

What I Hope He Remembers

/ Baylee Snelling / Leave a comment

I won’t be a perfect mother.
But I hope he remembers the kind of love that stayed.

I hope he remembers arms that held him close,
even when the world felt unsteady.
A voice that whispered comfort,
even when mine was tired.
A presence that didn’t walk away —
not in the chaos,
not in the quiet,
not in the mess.

And maybe, just maybe,
that kind of love will remind him of God’s.

Because if I’ve learned anything,
it’s that His love shows up the same way —
not waiting for the mess to be cleaned up,
not holding back until we’re stronger,
but entering in, again and again,
with kindness, patience, and grace.

That’s the kind of love I want to model.
Not flawless,
but faithful.
Not perfect,
but present.

So no, I won’t get it all right.
But I hope he sees the reflection —
of a God who stays.
Of a love that never leaves.
Of grace that shows up in the middle and calls it holy.

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
— 1 John 4:16 (NIV)

His Love Endures

/ Baylee Snelling / 1 Comment


Sometimes I forget how much power lives in these simple lines.
Give thanks.
Because He is good.
Because His love doesn’t run out when mine does.
Because His faithfulness stretches further than my fear.

I don’t always feel like giving thanks — especially not in the waiting, or the weeping, or the parts of life that feel worn thin.
But even then, He’s still good.
Even then, His love still holds.

That’s what I’m remembering tonight.
Not because everything is perfect —
but because His love doesn’t depend on whether it is.

So I’ll whisper thanks into the quiet.
Not because I feel strong —
but because He stays steady.
And that’s enough for today.

Anchor Verse:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1 (NIV)