When I thought about writing this at first, I was like, I have no idea what to write…then it began, tell them that I love them, truly love them. Uggghhh, love…such a sloppy word in the church these days. Let’s go ahead and unpack this thing. Sister, I wish we were snuggled up with a warm cup of coffee and our favorite scented candle burning sitting face to face. It is so easy to misconceive what is being said from afar. Our Father in heaven, please let this be exactly what you would have it to be, a talk between sisters and friends.
Love…for some of us that word crawls all over us—let’s be real for some of us it is downright painful. For others, well it’s like a mystical place of wide-open fields with no boundaries doing whatever makes us “feel” loved and “free”. I have been in both camps…imagine that. But what would it be like if we were smack dab in the middle of all of that? Some of you are probably saying where is she going with this? Glad you asked, sis. Go ahead and read 1 Corinthians 13. Now, don’t read it to see how far from being that loving Christian woman your supposed to be, but from the point of God loving you. God is patient with me. God is kind to me. Sister, you at this moment in time, are deeply and wholly loved right as you are…no, exactly as you are. God’s love isn’t flaky; it is not the pulling of petals. He loves me, He loves me not, He loves me, He loves me not. Oh, PLEASE let the last petal be that He loves me. Holding our breath, hoping He can and will forgive us just one more time as were trying to get “this” thing in our lives right for the hundredth time. It’s such a miserable way to live.
His love for you will remain completely intact even if you walk away forever. I know, how dare I say that! Yet, it is true, you see God IS love. That is WHO He is not what He feels, it isn’t a slippery slope…it is a gigantic ROCK to build our lives on. As I wrote that line above, the “even if you walk away,” my heart cringed and I breathed a prayer, please no. Not even one of these who will read please let them never walk away-the consequences of this choice is far too great a price to pay.
Let’s talk about this everlasting love. A friend will tell the truth even when it hurts. So Sis, Why are we so angry at God’s love? Not all of us but some of us. I mean really…He says no to that prayer we’ve been praying forever and we’re angry. That person isn’t healed and we’re angry. There’s an accident or tragedy and were angry. Then, we accuse and blame like our sisters of old; you know Mary and Martha – one wouldn’t even come to meet Jesus and the other one said pretty much if you would have been there death wouldn’t have happened. Dare I say truthfully, I have uttered these words and worse through streaming hot tears and dripping nose.
Ladies, HE Loves you and He loves me! He knows our humanity. He knows sorrow and suffering; He is deeply acquainted with it. Our ache does not diminish His love. Remember it is the Rock, not the slippery slope. I imagine us hitting up against it, trying with all we have to budge it and it’s not moving. It is there. The only way you can “try” to get away from it would be to move away from it. Have you given God the cold shoulder? In all the whys of this life, has our love waxed cold? Are we just a little more reserved in our praise? A little less quick to pray? Remember, He knows your frame. You were not hidden from Him during your making and you are not hidden from Him now. Sister may I suggest not walking back to the Rock but running to Him. Yahweh Tsuri, Your Rock Eternal. He loves you and He is waiting.
Until we meet again, I’ve gotta tell you, if you will wholly return to Him, times of refreshing will come. I love you sis, Tiffany.
1 Corinthians 13, Psalm 139, John 11, Acts 3:19
Grow Anyway 