Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God . . .
1st John 3:1
I would like to take a few minutes to praise and thank the Father for His infinite and unfathomable love! God is so good, and He blesses us in ways we can hardly comprehend. And, I cannot think of a greater blessing than His love.
God demonstrates His love toward us daily. But, I would like to tell you about a particular moment, when God used the love of my earthly father to put me in awe of the love of my Heavenly Father.
A couple of months ago, I was in Atlanta, Georgia with my parents and 54 other people, as we prepared to launch on this incredible life journey we call the World Race. It was just a couple days before my squad and I flew out for Ecuador, and I was faced with one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do: say goodbye to my parents.
My dad pulled me aside, wrapped his arm around my shoulders and, in his calm solemn tone that he always uses when he is being serious, he said “Listen, you know I’m not an emotional person, and I’m not going to cry. But, I want you to know that I love you, I’m proud of you, and I’ll be praying for you.”
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always known that my Dad loves me. He has made that abundantly clear through out my life. But, as I stood there in his embrace, with my arms wrapped around him, clinging to him like a little child, I felt more love from him, in that moment, than I ever had before.
It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later, when I was sitting in the middle of a crowded living room in Quito, Ecuador, that God reminded me of that precious moment. I had been practicing a new method of prayer (that some of you may find amusing). Instead of closing my eyes and speaking silently in my head to the blackness, I decided to try to picture, in my mind, that I was actually having a conversation with God while I prayed. For as long as I had been practicing this, I had always pictured myself standing a distance away from God. Never letting myself get close to Him.
But, on this particular morning, as I prayed, the Lord reminded me of the love I felt from my Dad on the emotional afternoon in Atlanta. He showed me that the love I felt on that day paled in comparison the the love He bestows upon me every day. I was, and still am, completely in awe of His love.
In my mind, I ran to Him, wrapping my arms around my Heavenly Father, and clinging to Him as I had my earthly father. It was then that I felt His arms around me. Like a tangible representation of His love and promise to always be with me.
I wish I could explain to you, in simpler terms, the Love of the Father. However, I feel it is not meant to be explained, but rather experienced.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1st Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
I would like to invite you to experience this love for yourself. It is a love like you have never known before. An all consuming love that never fails and never ends.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
