The Lord has been doing mighty work in me! It’s true when they say, the Race changes you more than you will ever change people.
I will be forever changed, forever broken and forever in love with my Creator.
The last couple of weeks I struggled with His love, being completely at peace and having my whole identity rooted in my Father. I kept on hearing His gentle whisper, feeling His embrace and also His sadness that I don’t completely trust Him.
As I was on the rooftop looking over the mountains of Nepal ( did you notice, the rooftop is one of my favorite places ) suddenly my Father reminded me of His unfailing Love and the bottomless pit He saved me from. Did you forget where you come from? Did you forget what I did for you? Did you forget who brought you to the green and lush landscapes of Nepal in the first place? It is my Grace that saved you, my Mercy that sustains you and my Love that keeps you going! My LOVE should always be enough for you!
I learned that whenever we love people, it is because He first loved us. We should never love to expect anything back. Our human nature wants to feel loved and accepted, but whenever we try to find that love in human beings, we will be severely disappointed. People will fail us, disappoint us and sometimes hurt us. Feeling rejected is a sign of a false identity. Humans may reject us but the Father adopts the fatherless, He gives us a new identity no matter what our history. What greater gift can I ever receive than to be accepted and loved into a family that goes beyond my heritage, character or the things I do or not do. I am loved, even when I mess up! Read that again! No matter what you have done or will do in the future He still loves you!
“We love because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
We are a sinful human race, we spit in Gods face and yet He loved us. All He ever wanted was a relationship with Him. He gave us lungs for breathing , a mouth to worship Him and eyes to see all the beauty He created, yet we turned our backs and worshipped his creation and false idols. And we still do! We probably hurt and rejected Him more than any of us could ever handle, yet He still send His one and only Son to die for us. After we rejected Him over and over again, He still loved us and took all the torture, excruciating pain and sin that day on the cross. Even though we were the ones who deserved it.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from Gods love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from Gods love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. “
Romans 8:38-39
Now that is Love!!
That is the Love that goes beyond anything we will ever be able to comprehend.
How can I ever doubt His Love for me and try to find my identity in other sinful beings.
That day I was called to love His people, my teammates, my squad and everyone I come in contact with for the rest of my life. He told me to not put a condition on His love or compare. He told me to give up my food even if I am hungry. He told me to swallow my pride, actually crucify it, when I get offended. He told me to pray for people even if I am tired. To be the first to ask for forgiveness, to see people through His eyes.
He told me to die to myself, over and over and over again!!!!
The beauty of the Race is restoration! Once upon a time God created men and female. He gave them a beautiful garden to live in and everything they could ever dream off. They were created in love by the Creator of love, so they could give love but instead they choose selfishness, greed and distrust. What followed was a sad representation of human beings!
What an honor it is to be part of this restoration. What an honor to have a Father that walks side by side with me, no matter how many times I stumble, He still celebrates my baby steps. What an honor to be turned into an image of Love and be restored to something incredibly beautiful,to beautiful to ever put into words.
Love Jen
