Love...

Well, this morning my heart is heavy!

I was on my way home from the gym and I was thinking about a conversation that my wife had with a friend of ours last night. Her and her husband are getting separated and my wife was being a rockstar and just loving her through a very tough time in her life. As they were talking, and I was cleaning up from dinner, one thing that I heard from the conversation was that this beautiful daughter of God, a beloved princess, whom the Creator adores more than anything else He has ever created...believes that because she isn't "religious" enough, God won't be there for her.

Like I said, my heart is heavy! What have we done to the Gospel of Jesus, as man has taken over and decided what is right, what is wrong and in our pursuit for knowledge and understanding; have we lost God's never-ending love. I will admit, I am quick to seek knowledge and I desire to know as much as I can about God, but I want to start with love! To know that she feels like because she doesn't conform to some man made system - that her Daddy won't be there for her; grieves me deeply.

As I was reflecting on this harsh reality, I felt a new responsibility. And its kinda funny how God is working in my life right now, because yesterday I spend most of the day praying through the Fruit of the Spirit and just asking God to cultivate the hard soil of my heart so that His Fruit would be evident, and this morning I wake up and realize that I am guilty of too often skipping past the first aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit - love.

God is love. Jesus is love. Regardless of who we are, what we do, or how much we try and push and run to get away from his love, He is love. It is not up to us to earn it. It is not up to us to keep it. It is not up to us to tell Him how to show it. He is love, and all we need to do is receive it. End of story.

Thank you Jesus, that you are love, that you are our example of love, that you loved me enough to die - while I was offensive and an enemy of your Father. Thank you that regardless of my church attendance, denomination or even tithe history - you love me with a burning passion and unending desire. Open my heart to receive that love, and than God - I pray that you would change how I love my brother's and sister's!

Let it be so...