It's true. While I was on vacation in Virginia (back in Lynchburg, where I lived for four years during college. Go Liberty!), love was in the air. =) And my heart melted big time.
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I didn't meet Mr. Right, but I was reminded of the huge, drastic, pursuing love that our Maker has for us, and couldn't help but respond to Him. It just seemed to be the theme of the week, from the time I settled down at my gate at the airport on the 21st with my Bible and my journal, to the beautiful drive back (full of worship music and a beaming heart) to the airport in North Carolina on the 28th. It seemed so clear to me, before I even left Texas, that what I needed most during my vacation was to be reminded of my "first love," like our Savior talks to us about in Revelation 2:4. He (Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God...just think about that for a minute!) is the passion of my life, my Rescuer, my Leader, my King. And every moment of my life should be characterized by this overwhelming love for Him! Just a thought of Him melts my heart, but my heart is too often distracted or busy. Right before I left town, my seminary professor asked us, "When was the last time that your heart skipped a beat at the mention of His name?" I wanted to cry. It had been far too long, for me... even though I hated to admit it.
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And so, as I got ready to board my airplane and fly away to one of my favorite places on the entire planet, I asked God to teach me to really love. I asked Him to help me to begin to love Him more intensely than I ever have before, and to be reminded of His love for me, and to better love the people that He loves. =)
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I got stuck, like the entire week, in 1 John 3-4. Those two chapters contained so much important truth from God that I just kept going back every morning to linger there. I was reminded in chapter 4 about how God has proven His love to us through His dramatic rescue mission, His sacrifice of Jesus in your place and in my place (check out 1 John 4:9-10), so that we could have life and be reunited with Him. Wow. I pray that that truth will melt your heart, like it did mine (all over again). And then I read 4:16, and prayed that for myself, and for you girls...that we would "come to know" and "believe the love which God has for us." Do you and I really get that amazing love? Not even close....but you should try really hard to think about it. =) He'll melt your heart, too.
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Then I read in verse 18 about how this perfect love of God "drives out fear." And then, I was reminded of something that is so, so, so true: "We love, because He first loved us." He has come after us with His love. We were jerks, disobeying and rejecting Him along with every other human being, and yet He decided to love us, and rescue us, and make us His own children. And when we see that kind of love, when we're rescued by a God who loves us that much, we can't help but love Him in return.
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In chapter three, I kept reading and being reminded of how His love changes us. When we see His love, and begin to fall in love with Him, we also begin to love what He loves....other people. =) Even the people that annoy us, or that we don't understand, or that it's hard to get along with...everyone.
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I've been learning about love for so long, but I still have SO much to learn. My trip to Virginia was a sweet, wonderful, convicting reminder from my Father...a lesson on love. And I started to fall more in love with Him (I hope I never stop....I hope my love for Him just keeps growing!). And I was reminded to love as He loves. SUCH good stuff. I had to update you girls.
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