Feel the love

I’ve been thinking so much about love lately. Not the Hallmark movie kind of love (although that version is one of my favorites…it’s light, fun and yes, a little bit cheesy), but what it means to love and be loved.

Because I’ve learned something over the past few years: understanding and experiencing God’s love allows us to feel and know what love really is. And when we know His love in a real way, we value ourselves and have a stance of gratitude toward our creator. When we appreciate how we were made and who we are as a child of God, we want our days to count. We desire to live a life of paying it forward so that others can know that love. Knowing God’s love allows us to love others well.

This is where I am in my journey. I finally understand what it means to be one of God’s creations and I have been soaking up His intense love over the past few years. I know what it is to be loved by the one who made me and it has truly changed my life. But I had to come to a desperate place of hopelessness before I allowed myself to really absorb the fullness of God’s love. If you are in that place right now, you are being given a gift…an opportunity to know God in the most beautiful, intimate way. I wrote about this last week but it’s hard to recreate an environment where you are at the end of your rope and needing God in a way like you have never needed Him before. This is where your relationship is forged by fire and your heart is forever connected with His. This is sacred ground.

I know I talk a lot about God a lot in my writings. I am who I am because of Him so I have so much gratitude for who He is and what He represents in my life. I grew up with a knowledge of Him and saw Him do a miracle in my family so I have a lot of love and gratitude for Him.

The Bible talks with clarity about what it means to know Him and be considered a “Christ-follower” (a Christian). It’s a simple prayer but a serious commitment. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10). This commitment asks for our whole hearts…that we acknowledge the honored place that Christ holds in our lives and that we believe He is who He says He is. And then we start a journey of seeking and understanding His love for us, because out of that love we find a full life, knowing that the God of the universe has us on His radar and holds us close in His heart. If you haven’t confessed this prayer and you have a desire to know God in that way, stop and pray right now. And then let me know because I would love to pray for you and help point you in the right direction for next steps.

At the end of my marriage neither my FH (former husband) or I felt loved by each other. Isn’t that sad? Honestly, I had gotten to a place where I struggled knowing that I was loved at all which is strange because I have plenty of people in my life who love me well. But when you don’t feel it from the person who is supposedly closest to you, it can cause insecurity and self-doubt to really cloud your mind.

And at this point I truly believed that my only talent was folding laundry. I had let all my other dreams and giftings fall away, I let myself believe that I had nothing to offer the world.

Can anyone relate?

Here’s the great and encouraging news, we understand God’s love by letting ourselves BE loved by Him. At my lowest point I went to God and asked Him to wrap me in His love and I felt it in an overwhelming way. That love opened the door to me seeking help, knowing that I was lovable and worthy of investing in myself. Over time I have come to understand my worth, knowing that God made me as one of His own. I still enjoy a beautifully folded towel (lol) but I also know that I was created for much more than mad laundry skills.

Need some encouragement? Take a half hour to look up these scriptures and let God touch your heart!

Ephesians 2:10

Psalm 139:14

Psalm 46:5

Psalm 28:7

Luke 1:45

Psalm 143:8

Colossians 2:10

If you know someone who could benefit from this post, please share. God carved out a path of intense healing for me and I would like to share it with as many people who need or want to hear.