Would you love me if I had nothing to give?

The more years I have under my belt, the more I am convinced that our agonizing climb up the ladder to Self-Actualization is really a descent, not a climb at all.
When we fearfully let go finger by finger we fall back to the most basic core of what we really want to know while we are here.  For me the painful question that has driven a lot of "work" in my life has been the question, "Would you love me if I had nothing to give?"
I don't remember a clear yes from anyone specifically until I met the Lord during one of the most tragic storms of my own life.  A storm that left me rocking on my bedroom floor with a bottle of Sprite in my hand, just hoping to get a drink with my shaky hands.  Yes, it was that rough, but remember I am incredibly stubborn.
I had a hold of a rung and refused to let go until my hands got too sweaty to hold on.
I would love to say the fall is a one time event, but it hasn't been for me.  I find myself grabbing again trying to climb my way to peace and love and perfection only to find another event reminds me to let go.  Each time I get better at letting go sooner, but I still think...just maybe I can grab the top rung.
But this time might just be the last.  I see how this painful question going unanswered for so long has left me with drivers that push and shove their way into my relationships, how I spend my days and how I feel about who I am as a person. 
So, this time as I let go I am yelling, "Would anyone love me if I had nothing to give?"
And hearing an emphatic, "YES!" from the One who built me cell by cell, personality to emotion...
I've arrived.