Everlasting Love

I finally have time to sit down and write, and I feel so relieved.  For this blog has been brewing in my heart for a few days now.  A couple of days ago 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 came to my mind and then this morning Jeremiah 31:3 came to me and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  So, I just had to blog.  I can't hold it in any longer.  The 2 verses dovetailed in my mind so vividly that it blew me away.

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 states--Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

And Jeremiah 31: 3 says--I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

As a Christian, a follower of Christ, I am told to be happy, be content, be thankful and to pray.  And pretty much, that's exactly what I do.  I am a happy, content, joyful, prayerful person.  I just am.  I'm sure it has a lot to do with my personality and a lot to do with my relationship with God.  For God created me to be an optimist, and in that optimism, my life overflows with love for my God.  It just does.  There isn't a thing I can do about it.  Even though I know it irritates others at times, it's just how he made me.

In the same respect, I know that God loves me.  He chose me, he died for me, I am his daughter, and he loves me with an everlasting love.  He is kind, and his love has not nor will it ever, fail me.  I know this to be true as much as I know anything at all ever!  I am wondering if "at all ever" should be morphed into one word like nonetheless?  Anyway--I digress.
I am just trying to get you to see things for a moment from my perspective.  I serve a God that allowed his very own son to die for me, that's how much he loves me.  So, I was thinking about this--I don't think I love anyone on the face of this earth that much!  Not to allow my child to die for them.  I'm sorry, I just don't.  Not one of my kids, not ever.  However, in confessing that--I would give my life for someone that I love.  I truly would.  If my husband or one of my kids or grandkids needed an organ, I'd be the first one on the donate list.  That's how much I love them.

So, I believe God when he tells me that he loves me with an everlasting love.  He gave up his son.  There was no crime that Jesus committed, he just volunteered to take my place on that cross.  I am the sinner, and he was (and is) the Son of God.  That brings me to tears every time.  He took my place.  And that fact alone proves to me just how much he loves me.  So yes, it's easy for me.  To feel loved, to feel happy, content, thankful, joyful--these things are not hard for me.  Not one little bit.

Do I go through hard times?  Naturally.  Do things happen to me (and those I love) that I have no control over?  Of course.   But I am told to give thanks in ALL circumstances.  So I do.  And in that quiet prayerful, soul searching, tearful time before God, he comforts me.  He tells me that he loves me and that he has everything under control.  And me?  Well, I believe him.  For he loves me with an everlasting love, and he draws me to himself and he holds me in his great big God arms, and he whispers my name.

 Forever and ever and ever.  Everlasting to everlasting...

The Heavens Declare

I had a weird feeling when I took this picture.  A feeling that a story would come, and that I would have to write about it.  Little did I know at the time--the story would be unfolding before my very eyes.  I took this photo last Friday evening.  We had gone to dinner with our sons and their families to celebrate my birthday.  Afterward, we stopped by a local park so that our 4 youngest grandchildren could play on the toys.  As evening approached I turned and saw the sky.  I took out my cellphone and captured this photo.  Not a great picture but a beautiful sky nonetheless.  The sight took my breath away.  I immediately thought of the verse--the heavens declare the glories of the Lord.  I heard God whisper in my ear--I am a great big God, the creator of the universe, and I made this just for you.  I stood for a moment, trying to hold back tears, and then slowly turned to rejoin my family.

My story does not end there, however.  It takes up again a few days later at church when a friend leaned over during worship and said she felt lead to ask me to pray for her after the service.  Of course, I said yes, but I didn't wait until after church. No, I silently began to pray for her right then and there--I prayed all through worship, all through the sermon and right up until we pretty much had the sanctuary to ourselves.  There were a couple of things I found interesting though during my prayer time for her--one was that my mind kept wandering--bird walks, I call them--but as I tried hard to get back to praying, it dawned on me that God was leading me down certain pathways of prayer.

In the beginning I assumed she wanted prayer for her husband, however, as I prayed I began to think of my nephews who died a few years ago, which then lead me to think about a friend of mine and her nephew, and then I thought of my nephews that are still living--and on and on.  The theme being nephews.  Weird.  No, not so weird.  Because as I sat down to pray with my friend, guess what she wanted to pray for--you guessed it--her nephew!  Isn't God awesome?  He knew just what I needed to start praying for.  I shared all that with her, and we sat there just amazed.

As we left the sanctuary after praying together she remembered a picture she had taken that morning on her drive to church.  The sky was so beautiful that she pulled her car over to take this shot.  And thought to herself--our God is so big!
She pulled out her camera to show me and this is what her photo looked like--

My picture was a sunset, hers a sunrise--both similar, and both declaring the glories of the Lord.  We stood there showing each other our photos, tears in our eyes, marveling at just how big our God really is.  He can do anything.  He can heal us, and save us.  He can protect us, and provide for us.

He is a great big God, and He loves us.  And even the heavens declare the glories of the Lord.

No Halfsies

When I married my husband 40 years ago I made a vow.  I made a promise.  I made a commitment to be faithful, to love, and to make a partnership with him that would last throughout our lifetime.  I took it to be extremely serious.  We would remain partners for life.  The word divorce was stricken from our vocabulary.  We would work it out, no matter the cost.  And sometimes, the cost was great.

I made the same commitment to motherhood.  When we decided to start a family, I stayed home with our children.  I gave up my career, and I became a mom.  All in.  Fully committed.  I was there, always there for them, dedicated and devoted to my children.

I found out a few things about myself throughout these life experiences of mine.  One is that I am loyal--almost to a fault.  When I commit, there is no going back.  Faithful, and steadfast--my husband sometimes calls this stubborn, I, however, disagree.  I call it faithful and true.

What prompted me to write today is this--I realized that I don't do halfsies.  Oh, I know that this isn't a real word, but you get my drift.  Nothing is halfway with me.  And as I sat praying this morning, it dawned on me that the one person whom I have given everything to is God, I gave him my life--wholly, years ago.  Not half way.  Never half way.  For me, my relationship with Him is all or nothing.

I've made this commitment to love and serve him all the days of my life.  No turning back, no half-hearted attempt, no serving on my own terms or when it suits me.  No, I'm all in, and I always have been, and I pray I always will be.  Devoted to God, with all my heart.  And now, after all these years, I honestly do not know any other way to serve him.  Except with my whole heart.  I love him.  I am his child.  No halfsies.  Not me.

No matter how hard the circumstances, struggles, lack of understanding, heartache, or sickness--I know that he has my best interest tucked deep into his heart and that he will protect me and care for me.  I know that he loves me and that I am his daughter.  You see, there are no halfsies for him either. He's all in.  Fully committed, fully engaged.  He even gave his life for me.  He saved me.

This relationship that we have, this father/daughter thing, well, it's pretty special.  Me and him, him and me, whole, pure, true, strong, committed, faithful--no halfsies.

I trust him with my whole heart, he's my provider, my protector, my healer, my father, my God.