God is love

I'm across the board emotionally tonight. I was feeling satisfied about my betty crocker skills after making homemade turkey soup and a cake. I was feeling hopeful and excited about some plans I typed out for trips to Africa and strategic missions work. I felt compassion on a friend who is at the crossroads of some decisions and called me for prayer. Then I was crushed to hear someone I love deeply was hurt by someone they know. Not physically hurt, no car accidents or fist fights. Just deep, wrenching, heart ache. We had a feeling it was coming. Never knew how it would feel in this moment. I found myself angry and praying for love to fill me and the person I love. Jesus, help us love our enemies. Jesus, you are love, help us abide in your love. Give us your love toward those who have been so hurtful. Those were my prayers.

I remembered something about love from a book so I pulled it off my shelf and decided to share it with my 3.5 blog readers. Let me set the stage...it's an imaginary conversation with God of sorts, though that makes it sound unreal and I'm sure God spoke these words in all reality to his heart. God looking at the author saying "Do you get that I am love?" then God says...

I'm not just three little words, Jeff. I am that love that you express to your soul mate. I am that love that you can't contain for your children. I am that tough love that clipped your wayward wings as a teenager. I am what you feel for the people at the bus station, the health clinic, or the refugee that might be lost and confused. I am everything that makes you go back to the alley to look for the homeless man. I am the answer to your prayer this morning, for I am always revealing myself right in front of you. I am what you're to be about. The noun, the verb, the feeling and the doing. All of it, wrapped into one. That is me.... I am love.

(chap 37, So I Go Now, Following After the Jesus of Our Day, by Jeff Jacobson. Thanks Jeff, hope you don't mind)

God has taught me about the word ABIDE for several years now. I constantly learn that I am nothing apart from Him. It's in abiding that I can and will bear fruit. Not for my glory, but because John 15 says this will show the world I am His disciple. My abiding makes much of Him. He's the treasure in this jar of clay. Christ in me is the hope of glory. 1 Cor 15: 10 says, but by the grace of God I am what I am. It's by his grace I can do anything. It's through abiding in Him- who IS love- that I can do anything loving, patient, forgiving. I am not love, or loving. Not at all. I can't go find love, or get better at loving people around me, or be loving toward anyone unless it's Christ in me. Jeff's words hit me back when I read them the first time, reminding me that He is every bit of love I feel, give, do, see, receive, know. God is love.

In this moment, I ask Him for the strength to abide in him now, tonight, in the morning, tomorrow, the next day. He is my portion and the strength of my heart forever right? I ask Him who IS love to show me and my loved ones love in this moment. God, help us to know your love when others fail to be loving. Help us to rest in your loving arms when others fail to extend theirs. Help us to abide in you to love our enemies in times of hurt.