05 August 2012

with an everlasting love

This weekend has been an interesting one ...

I truly wish I could come up with a more descriptive word.

This has been one of those times where God keeps letting me know just how much He loves me.

Now, you might think that I should already know that - and I should. However, if I am honest, there are times when life beats me up so badly that I lose focus and struggle. It is not a disbelief in who God is or what He is able to do. I'm not quite sure I can describe what it is but, when I hit that wall, my Father knows exactly what I need.

I started out this weekend trying to encourage myself - listening to praise & worship, praying, singing and reading. Yet God knows when I need more and He met me right where I was, speaking through each situation.

I am currently taking a class on 'A Woman's Passionate Pursuit of God'. It is a great class, we have an excellent facilitator and the fellowship with other women is encouraging. This morning, as I did some of my weekly reading, I read about a father and son team (Dick and Rick Hoyt) who have defied odds by participating in 1,000 races. Why is this odds-defying? Rick Hoyt sustained oxygen deprivation at child birth which left him with cerebral palsy and in a quadriplegic state. His dad Dick Hoyt, pushes his son in his wheelchair in each race. In fact, some of the races have been Iron Man triathalons where Dick Hoyt has to swim, pulling his son in a boat, then ride on a specially designed bike and then run, pushing Rick in custom-made running chair. As I read their story, I was touched by it and the awesome love between a father and child.

Having been raised by a single-mom from the time I was four, I have experienced challenges in this life with truly comprehending the love of a father. My father and I are developing in our relationship now but growing up there was a gap which has left some residue. And every time I think I have finished dealing with everything, it seems there is just 'smidge' left to address. I think even that is God's mercy. If I were to attempt to deal with it all at once, I don't know that I would be able to handle it.

Well, after reading, I went to church ... online that is. I started out the day with Redemption World Outreach Center where they got 'stuck' in praise and worship and lingered on the line 'He loves us, Oh, How He loves us'. Then I followed it up with online service at my home church Bridge Church where they were singing about 'Power in the name of Jesus ... to break every chain'. Then this evening I was flipping through the channels and came upon a program with Jentezen Franklin/Free Chapel. And wouldn't you know that he was mentioning Team Hoyt in his sermon.

Now, I am not a huge believer in coincidence. I know God is in control and that He orchestrates situations and circumstances to achieve His purposes in the earth and in our lives individually. And when I realized that Jentezen Franklin was talking about the same individuals I had read about this morning, I knew the LORD was speaking to me and here is what I believe He is saying:

I love you with an everlasting love

I went back to read up on Team Hoyt and saw the most touching video on their website. And as I watched with tears streaming down my face, I was able to catch a glimpse of a father's love. Yet in that moment, there was a tugging at my heart that said, 'I love you more than that.'

You see, God will permit situations and circumstances to point us toward His love and give us glimpses of it but I do not believe that there is any situation on the earth that can fully show us just how much He loves us with the love of a Father. The only event that fully demonstrated it, occurred over two-thousand years ago at the cross of Calvary. And there is nothing else that can capture it - which is why we are called to commune with God and reflect upon the sacrifice of Jesus and the amazing demonstration of love that was put forth for all of humanity but more specifically and personally, for me ... and for you.

As I watched that video of this father and son, I saw myself and I saw the Father and I recognized the fact that:
* I am that person in the wheelchair, being pushed by a Heavenly Father
* I am that person in the boat, being pulled by my Heavenly Father
* When I am too tired to walk, He carries me
* When my attempts at encouraging myself fail, He steps in and holds me
* When chains of the past try to choke my present & future, He frees me
* When I feel I am all alone, He whispers, 'I am here'
* When I don't listen to the whisper, He states with a thundering but loving voice, 'I am right here! I will never leave you or forsake you'

I love the LORD and I know He loves me ... Yet I also realize that He is desiring for me to move to another place in my relationship with Him - one where I truly comprehend that He is not just Creator of the Universe, He is 'Daddy'.

 
I am so thankful that He takes the time out to speak to me personally and that He is so incredibly patient with me.

'I have loved you with an everlasting love' Jeremiah 31:3



No comments:

Post a Comment