This is Love..

This Love existed before time began. It made humans to be His image bearers, and called them GOOD. This Love created a world of beauty for a people more concerned with their own. But this Love did not give up. It pursued and forgave us time and time again. It planted dreams in the hearts of man, seeing the beauty hidden in the darkness, fragments of Eden.

This Love sent a part of Himself into a broken and ugly world. He had every every reason to condemn it, but yet He walked in the dirt and looked into the eyes of the forgotten.

This Love surrendered EVERYTHING, and in His death cried 'Father, forgive them'. Those who had beaten and spat at their very creator! Darkness fell as the light of the world breathed His last and the curtain tore in two.

This Love could not be contained by death. Life entered those lungs as the Son of God walked the earth again. For nothing can defeat this Love. It was, it is and it will always be.

This Love rejoiced at my birth. This Love never left me when all my friends did, this Love cheered me on at school when I declared my love for Him. This Love held me when I was left brokenhearted, showing me that hope was just round the corner.

In my deepest, darkest moments, when all I can feel is shame, even then He says 'it was worth it'. He picks up this world weary soul and sings a love song over it, till my heart soars. He roars when the enemy attacks me, for I am his beloved, and my price is paid in FULL.

I don't know you, but I do know this Love is everything you are searching for. You will never find it in the arms of a lover. Indeed you will never find it in this world. It is pure and untainted, completely selfless and incredibly real. It has no hidden motives, no secret clauses. It was freely given thousands of years ago, by a man that 'had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him'. A man that is now in His rightful place, at the right hand of God.

This is Love. 

Grace in the harvest

It's been a heck of a long time since I last posted on here, and that isn't because I haven't been learning much recently, I promise you, I have been learning a LOT! Like how to ski, (which was a humbling experience if ever I've had one!) The truth is, I've had plenty of idea's of what to write, but I've just not felt strongly enough about any of them. Until now...

As I posted last time, God took me on a big old journey last summer, and for about six months it was really hard, but you know what? I had the best times with God I have ever experienced. He literally carried me, gave me grace to give others, (even though I haven't always been good at giving it!), and I just fell in love with my King. Head over heels.

So far, so great. Until, around Christmas, things just got better. A whole lot better. Relationships blossomed, healing took place, hope flourished and I had plenty of reasons to praise my Maker. And I did, and I do. But I have found it so much harder to feel close to God when my life is peaceful. If this is a season of harvest, why do I feel so dry?

Maybe it has a lot to do with this world we live in. Comfort and security are lifted high on a pedestal, and when we experience them, we find them pretty satisfying. Watching re-runs of Friends seems a whole lot easier than reading God's Word, and we don't really need too, right? Everything's going so good. 

The truth is we have just as many needs in the harvest as in our pain and suffering. We are in desperate need of His strength, His mercy, and His love. I mean, how can we be so selfish? Is it not possible that God is taking us through a time of peace so that we can reach out into the lives of those experiencing pain? Like me, you might be just catching your breath from a difficult experience, but I know what God has taught me isn't just for me alone. He blesses us so we can bless others, that way we can 'rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn'. Romans 12v15.

My Bible notes today discussed how Jesus met his disciples needs, from the most basic; a meal of bread and fish, to the most complex; forgiveness for their sins. It encouraged me to think over where I needed Jesus to meet me, and what hunger I needed Him to feed.

Maybe you are going through a season of pain right now, or maybe like me, you are in a good place, but honestly, we need Him to meet us in our weakness in both situations. No matter what we experience in this life, we are always in need of his Grace, which is as freely given in the harvest as it is in the flood.

Ps. He made this by the way. Did I mention He's totally awesome??