Unfailing Love

"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the
 beginning of love."

Mother Teresa

Love is a hard thing to grasp.  Sometimes it's hard for us to understand love because our normal of love wasn't that of someone else we may know.  It's hard to understand how someone can love you sometimes...or maybe even why.

The definition of love is simple:

Love~
An intense feeling of deep affection.
A person or thing that one loves.
Feel a deep romantic  or sexual attachment to (someone).

GREAT!  I know what love is...It tells us how we feel when we love someone, but it doesn't tell us what to do when that someone hurts us. It doesn't tell us how to handle the heartache and pain.  It doesn't explain why some of us feel we aren't worthy to be loved.

Growing up I knew what love was.  I would give my love freely, but in return  I would always be filled with disappointment and heartache.  I put too much expectation in people.  I always assumed if I treated people the way I wanted to be treated they would naturally return the same courtesy.

I felt rejected and unloved.  I felt unwanted.  I never once considered God's love for me.

"The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness."

Jeremiah 31:3 NASB

I have really done some "soul searching"  you can say, more so over this past year than any other year...And looking back I see the love God has shown unto me.  It was love that originally kept me in church.  Love that softened my heart.  More importantly, it was love that brought me back!

We live in such a delegate society!  Children are killing other children.  The suicide rate is the highest it's ever been.  More and more abuse stories are rising from beneath the dirty laundry.  This world needs more love!

However, as humans we are flawed.  We love, but our love seems to have conditions and that is unacceptable!  We shouldn't love to change people or society, we should love because that is what God has asked us to do!

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And He said to him, ' YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  This is the great commandment.  The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  On these two commandments depends the whole Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22: 36-40

You are loved and you are wanted!  He created you for a purpose!

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Jeremiah 1:5

There are reasons for the things that happen in our lives. Eventually, we will understand some of those reasons, but sometimes we won't. You may be hurt by someone or even angry at God, but where has that gotten you so far?

Many years ago I heard this profound story and now I am going to share it with you:

There was a dear mother who had lost her only child, a son, in an auto accident.

The article disclosed, the youth, a 17-year-old, model child, and student, who never gave his mom or dad any trouble, was called out of this life so young!  The mother, broken, and so distraught became bitter and totally resentful of God as she cried out in soul anguish, again and again; "WHERE WERE YOU GOD WHEN MY CHILD NEEDED YOU?"  This silence, with no apparent answer, drove her into a deeper abyss of total darkness.  She found herself going into recluse with and enormous gulf separating her from the God she had been in love with since she was a young child!

After suffering in a dungeon of hatred and bitterness; not allowing anyone to talk to her about God's Grace and Goodness, one day alone crying, (this had become her lifestyle) she bellowed out in a scream, "WHERE WERE YOU WHEN MY SON DIED?'

Removed, as she so often wanted to be and being exhausted, she fell across the bed, however, within a few moments a silence came into the bedroom, and a tender, loving voice spoke back to the bier: "THE SAME PLACE I WAS WHEN MY SON DIED!"

Dr. Raleigh D. Jenkins, With Permission, God Will Provide! P. 32, 33

God never left you, nor did He forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).  God's love is unfailing (Psalms 36:5)  He wasn't and isn't surprised by my behavior or actions at times, just like He isn't surprised by yours!  There is nothing you can do that will make Him stop loving you and who you are as an individual.  

Over these past couple months, I have talked about faith, hope, truth and trust.  All these go hand in hand.  In order for you to have any of these you must first see the truth, that there is a God in heaven, who sent His Son, Jesus, here to die for your sins.  You must have faith in order to see that truth and hope that He can and will work out and guide you through any situation you are facing, as long as you trust Him.  And He will do it all simply because He loves you!

If you have not accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and would like to do so, please say the prayer down below. It is that simple.

"Lord grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love."

St. Francis of Assisi

Heavenly Father,

Today I confess with my mouth boldly that I am a sinner who has come to realize that I can't do this alone.  I now see that Your mercy, grace and love is more than sufficient for me.   Thank you for loving me so much that You sent Your only begotten son Jesus Christ to die for my sins.  Save this soul and change this heart of mine.  Guide my steps always.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Completely by Ana Laura: