Love Me

a poem from Deep Unto Deep by Dana Candler:

"Love Me"

But why? But how? How is it that He loves me?
How is it that the King, the Creator, the Beautiful and the Mighty
Has vowed to love and adore me? How can it be so?
And I so dirty... I so unlovely... I so dark.
And Him so pure... Him so Fair... Him so good... How is it so?
Jesus, I do not understand. Jesus, what have You done?
It is too much. It is too great a thing... for one so undeserving.
Yet even in this You delight. You love me in my weakness.
You love me in my helplessness.
You do not ask me to be strong.
You do not ask me to first be deserving.
For I shall never deserve such a love.
It is based not on my deserving. It is based not on my earnings.
All that I could ever do would never be enough.
It would never cause my heart to be found worthy.
And you delight in it to be this way.
You cause my attempts to be found empty and my strivings to end dry.
For never will You love me for them.
Your love for me is too rich and too great to be bought at so low a price.
It is a love I could never afford, nor am asked to pay a penny for.
It is mine. Freely it is mine. Given as a free gift.
What all the kings and princes of the world could not afford,
You have banded to my little heart.
What love is this, my Jesus, and why do You love me?
Oh, why have You cast Your riches and Your wealth
to such a souls as mine?
If I had the strength I would say,
"Please... for justice's sake... love another."
But I cannot say such words. A fool I would be to turn You away.
Love me then, oh Perfect King. Love the poor and dirty.
Love the one who cannot earn nor pay. Love the despised and rejected.
Love one who can bring You nothing except the tears of a lovesick heart.
Love me. For I cannot turn You away. I cannot deny such love
Love me then, my Jesus. As you have vowed love and adore little me...