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A Father’s Love

Riding bikes together from Roxbury to Harvard Square and back.

Whatchamacallits, Smartfood Popcorn and Sicilian pizza.

Deep conversation, identifying strengths, creating opportunities and unending support. These are just some of the ways my earthly father invested in me and showed me his love.

 

This Easter weekend I reflected on the ultimate sacrifice of God’s love for us in sending His Son to die for our sins. My heart was filled with gratitude to be on the receiving end of this love. Yet I know I’ve only begun to scratch the surface on understanding and accepting the immensity of The Father’s love for me. The magnitude of it is such that I can’t wrap my head around it.

 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

 

When I think about my relationship with my earthly father, it brings a smile to my face. My father is one of my best friends. He is fun loving, brilliant and reassuring. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loves me.

Daddy's girl

 

I also see a great example of fatherhood in my husband. He teaches our children history and practical life lessons. While I tend to be very structured with the children, he creates room in the routines to have fun with the children the “Daddy Way”. Beyond a shadow of a doubt I know he loves his children.

 

A Father's Love

 

And while these two examples exemplify Fatherhood, there exists an even more complete portrait a father’s love.

 

In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.’ Jeremiah 31:3

 

We are loved by The Father who:

 

~Covers you so you are not ashamed
~Forgives your disobedience
~Loves you enough to correct you
~Staying in contact with you
~Rejoices when you return home
~Surrenders His absolute best for your benefit

 

And these are but small glimpses of the depth of The Father’s love for us. It is His desire to saturate us in His love but we have to prepare ourselves to receive it. Our images and perceptions of God directly impact our ability to receive His love.

 

Do you perceive Him as a loving, doting father?

 

Do you perceive him as a harsh disciplinarian?

 

Your perceptions of The Father can box in His love for you. We can put human limitations on a Father whose love is immeasurable and everlasting. I pray that we eradicate any limitations, barriers or hindrances that stand in the way of us experiencing the width, depth, breadth and height of The Father’s love for us. I pray that our hearts are open to receive the fullness of His love for us.

 

In his book Love Beyond Reason John Ortberg says, “Attention is so valuable we don’t just give it, we pay attention. This is how God loves us. He pays attention to us.”

 

The Word declares that your Heavenly Father pays you attention in that He:

 

~Thinks you’re the apple of His eye
~Loves you with an everlasting love
~Is a father to the fatherless
~Knows what you have need of even before you ask
~Has compassion for you
~Calls you His child

 

This is but peek at the totality of A Father’s Love, The Father’s Love. Oh friends be assured of His complete, utter, absolute love for you and receive it today. Join me in prayer…

 

Abba Father, most loving gracious God what a joy it is to stand in your presence. You are so full of love and light. Your glory saturates the atmosphere and fills this place and fills me. Lord I ask that you create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Whatever barriers stand in the way of me receiving the fullness of your love for me, I ask you to remove them. Lord, I thank you that you bless and keep me, that you make your face shine upon me, you are gracious to me, you lift the light of your countenance upon me and you give me your peace. Abba manifest your love for me in a real and tangible way. Amen.

 

Receive His love today.

 

In the song I Receive, Israel Houghton sings,

 

“Behold all things have been made new

My past has gone, my shame removed

You gave Your Son Your love for me

Now at the cross I am made free

I receive Your love, I receive Your love for me

I receive Your love, I know I am accepted”

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Happy to connect with friends at Purposeful Faith Monday’s Musings Fellowship Fridays Dance With Jesus Grace and Truth

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How Do You Know You Are Loved

“Of all the hard times I’ve endured, ain’t nothing that real love can’t cure. Of all the hard times that I feel, ain’t nothing that real love can’t heal.”

 

This is how I know he loves me!

 

When I write God gives me things in pieces. So I had this list of scriptures of God confirming time and again that indeed he loves me.

 

But I paused. I said to myself, “Lord I know that I know these scriptures in my head. How do I move them from my head to my heart? How do I really know for myself that you love me?”

 

How do you know you are loved?

 

How do I know my husband loves me? Well it’s evident in his actions. He works tirelessly to provide for me. He fiercely protects me. He supports and encourages my dreams. He gives me the green light to pursue my interests. He is physically affectionate and doting. I have no doubt the dude loves me.

 

How do my children know I love them? Well I directly asked them that question and here’s how they responded:

~You always encourage me to do my best and you correct me when I do something wrong. T. Age 10

~You cook for me everyday and make me eat healthy food. S. Age 9

~You hug me and kiss me and call me sweet girl. A. Age 6

~Blank stare. Momm-meee! Then he rubs the back of my arm as he’s done since he was an infant E. Age 4

~No words, just a BIG kiss. Muah! J. Age 2

 

From this we can see love is a verb. There is action when there is love. So when I look over my life, I can clearly see the Father’s love action active in my life. His hand guiding me, his arms protecting and his embrace comforting me.

 

Can you look over the course of your life and find evidence of his unfailing love for you?

 

I can turn the pages in my life story and see his love:

~In the awkward, peculiar way my parents met and went on to create me

~Having very little supervision as a young child yet being protected and shielded

~Giving me a cousin that looked out for me

~Learning how to care for myself at a young age (right down to having to scrounge up loose coins to buy food)

~Ordering my steps so that I did well in school

~Covering me while I made stupid decisions in college

~Allowing me to meet my husband

 

And I could go on and on.

 

And some may think well if he loves us so much, why does he allow us to go through painful things? I don’t know that I have an exact answer as each of us has different paths that we must traverse but I do know that all the difficulties I’ve experienced have enabled me to handle and navigate life better. My pain and hurt has aided me in being able to adapt quickly, not take things so personally, a wider perspective on life situations, greater empathy, high tolerance and the ability to withstand storms. I know that he causes all things to work together for my good.

 

“Of all the hard times I’ve endured, ain’t nothing that real love can’t cure. Of all the hard times that I feel, ain’t nothing that real love can’t heal.”

These words are sung by an artist named Speech, one of the members of Arrested Development, a hip-hop group popular in the early 90’s. Yes, I know he loves me because his love has cured all my sickness and disease. His love has healed my hurt and my pain. His love gives me hope. His love mobilizes me to love stronger, try harder, and keeps me moving forward.

 

Since he IS love, he can’t help but to love you. He created you after all. Have you ever admired something you created and looked upon it with wonder and amazement?

 

After pushing my 1st born out of my body, I quickly pulled her up and laid her on my chest. After the nurses toweled her off, I pulled her back so I could look her over. In awe, I stared at this little human that I had a hand in creating. We stared into each other’s eyes and it was love at first sight. This is what the Lord feels when He looks at you and me.

 

God does not merely love, he IS love. And since his nature is that of love, he consistently demonstrates his love for us. Jesus is a love song.

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

 

 

He has shown himself to me. My spiritual eyes have been opened and I can SEE his hand at work in my life.

 

 

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. John 14:21

 

 

He loves us in a way that is absolute. COMPLETE.

 

He Sees You. He Chooses You. He Knows You. He Loves You.

 

He loves you with an agape love, a love that is selfless, self-sacrificing, and unconditional expecting nothing in return.

 

How will you respond to his love today?

 

All week we’ll be talking about Embracing Everlasting Love. For Part 1 on being Seen & Chosen click here. For Part 2 on being Known, click here. I pray you join me all week as we embrace a love so pure, a love that expects nothing in return, a love that is complete, a love that can only be found in Jesus.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with friends sharing the Good News Mommy Moments

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