A Walk With Jesus

How do you love someone ... not as you have a mind to ... but as Jesus loves them?

Recently, when I prayed for the Lord to allow 'Jesus Love' to rule my life, I immediately wondered if I was capable of such love. Am I alone in thinking that this degree of purity would be impossible for anyone other than Jesus? Such unconditional devotion. Such complete selflessness.

Then, and maybe even more to the point, I began to wonder if I would even be willing to allow myself the luxury of loving someone in such a way. Doing so would mean, of course, that I would have to lay down the 'baggage' that I've carried around for so very long. And let us not be blind to the risks that must now be considered. In order to love as Christ loves, you must be willing to risk many things ... the most frightening of which is vulnerability ... and equal in gravity is the ever hanting factor of trust. YIKES!

Considering what it would take for me to love that deeply, that honestly, that unconditionally, I must confess that I momentarily allowed a spirit of doubt to darken my doorstep. but it was then that I was lead to pour my heart out to the Lord ... reminding him (as if!) of the pain inflicted through selfishness, of injustices that often come without warning and of the loneliness that has a tendency to linger without invitation. All these things and more now lay buried in Pandora's Box and shamefully, my heartfelt desire is to utterly avoid them all.

It was then that the Lord invited me to take a walk with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He and I recalled the moments just before His arrest, we spoke of the events that lead Him and His friends to enter this Garden so very long ago. He pointed out to me the injustice of His sleeping friends ... of the depths of the loneliness that He endured ... the sorrow that burdened His soul ... and of course ... the heart wrenching pain that came as a result of the betrayer's kiss .............. and yet ............

As we came to a clearing, He showed me that in order to love unconditionally, even HE had a first pour His heart out to the Father in prayer. Not once ... not twice ... but three times that night He turned to His source of strength. In His humanness He felt the pain of ALL injustice - ALL disease - ALL sin but with the burden of overwhelming rejection upon Him, He realized emphatically that He was willing to risk it all for the opportunity to be God's instrument of unconditional love.

THANK YOU, JESUS!

As I sit in awe of His insight ... His courage ... and His willingness, my heart continues to yearn for the ability to love as He loves. As I return from our walk I realize, without question, that victory IS possible but only with the power of the Holy Spirit within me. One good slap of injustice and I'm instantly angered or offended ... scrambling once again for a reminder of the example He has set for me ... searching for the nearness of Jesus.

His Word tells us that just before He was taken up to be with the Father He declared that "anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these..." (John 14:12) My fervent prayer is to live as a victor ... not a victim ... so I look to the Father and ask that He continue to guide my every attempt to love as Jesus loves. I pray that you too will seek nothing more in your lives than the unconditional love that comes only in and through the Son, for I ask this in His name.
Amen and amen.

Morning Renewal

Yesterday, with its human challenges, is now but a memory. The morning is upon us and without the need of encouragement it brings with it the assurance of never ending hope.

A moment of stillness. A moment of simplicity. A moment of peace. Color bursts onto the scene ... the greens of spring. The yellows. The blues. The pinks. You linger in amazement at the glistening dew ... every drop placed in just the perfect order.

Suddenly you notice the shadows brought about by the warm rays of sunlight ... and the dancing of tender leaves as they ever so gently begin to move about in the breeze.

Morning renewal ... nourishing ... indescribable ... priceless!

Listen ... did you hear that? Did you hear the voice of God saying "Good morning, my child. Welcome to this new day. You are my beloved for whom I have made all of these things. Behold the beauty ... drink it in. Experience the richness of the gifts that I've created just for you. Be still and know that I am the God who loves you beyond your understanding."

Solutions to yesterday's calamities have yet to unfold but somehow, in the shadow of His wing, hope springs eternal. God, in all his splendor, appears in the beauty of an unfolding rose - in the artful sounds of a songbird - in the smile and laughter of a child. Jesus told us that each day would hold its own challenge and I'm convinced more than ever that that's why He created morning renewal.

As we reluctantly turn to begin our day, we feel the assurance that He will be near us until our day is done. We know without fail that we are free to return to him throughout our day and spend a restful moment with Him beside the still waters ... Thank You, Jesus!

Father, in thanksgiving, I ask that you richly bless each of your beloved children with morning renewal ... for I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen and amen.