Unconditional Love

What does the word "unconditional" bring to mind for you?   It's a hard word for me to wrap my brain around sometimes.  I looked up the word "condition" and the very first meaning said, "The state of something in regards to its appearance, quality or working order".  The word "unconditional" is defined as something not subject to any conditions.  During my morning time today I was reading from Brennan Manning about unconditional love.  Does the idea of God's unconditional love for us come easy to you?  Sometimes I think Brennan is right when he says that this familiar phrase has become a cliche.   Today as I let this phrase sink into my heart, I am overwhelmed by it.  If I truly believe that the Lord loves me unconditionally, then I believe that His love does not depend upon my appearance, quality or working order.  That is hard to wrap around especially when we experience such conditions in every day life.  Don't we try to look good to gain respect and love?  Don't we feel that our respect and admiration comes from being successful in our work?  To really believe in God's unconditional love, we must believe that we are loved no matter our habits, faults, failures, addictions and brokenness.  Oh PRAISE GOD!   Every day I fail.  Every day I make mistakes, but He loves me still.  And on the cross, He gave His only Son so that we may be given the gift of Grace!  It is given freely.  We are loved and forgiven!  I walk through today with the words of Manning echoing in my head; "The wild, unrestricted love of God is not simply an inspiring idea.  When it imposes itself on mind and heart with the stark reality of ontological truth, it determines why and at what time you get up in the morning, how you pass your evenings, how you spend your weekend, what you read, and who you hang with; it affects what breaks your heart, what amazes you, and what makes your heart happy."  May the unconditional love of God, Jesus and the Spirit affect you deeply today!