Whenever I think of love I think of singing songs, dancing around my room, and
waiting for my prince charming to come and sweep me off my feet. I think of old couples at a
restaurant grinning ear to ear while they eat off of each other's plates. When I think of love, I
think of my younger self, running up to my dad, and asking him if I looked pretty in my dress-up clothes. But even more often, as I’ve grown up and experienced heartbreak, loss, and depression, when I think of love I think of my Heavenly Father. The God of the Universe, Creator of our beings....Lover of our souls.
God is love.
I didn’t always believe this. Walking in a love that was short-lived, that felt good in the moment, and usually left me empty and exhausted, I was running from God’s love for years.
Not until my lowest point, full of anxiety, eyes full of tears, clenching my fists, on my knees, face on the ground, did I experience the unexplainable depths of the love of God. In a moment of facing the reality that my soul had been deprived of the most perfect version of love, I wept. I didn’t know what I was missing until I had experienced it. My world was shaken, but day by day God began to show me what love was through messy prayers, His children, and His word.
Now I struggle to explain the Love of God because my words simply cannot do its fullness and depth justice, so bear with me. We see God’s love on full display in our everyday lives.
Whether you believe in God or not, He has written a love letter in your heart. Romans 2 talks about God writing His word on every heart, believer or not, He wrote in every heart a love letter to himself. Now I know that can sound confusing, if this is true, why are there people in this world that don’t know God? Great question.
God loves us so much that while knitting us together, He wanted to offer us life forever with Him. He is not controlling, He is The Blessed Control, guiding, creating, and advocating on behalf of our souls. He gave us the gift to freely choose the desires of our heart, even though he knew we would turn from Him, He still gave His heart to us.
1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” We must know God to know love. We must know the Creator to understand what has been and is being created.
Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Friend, that means no party hangover, no one night stand, no addiction, depression, anxiety, fear, person, thought, unbelief, misunderstanding, uncertainty, pain, confusion, suffering, the list goes on and on, NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, can separate you from the Love of your Heavenly Father. This kind of love goes against all cultural ideas of love and intimacy. It defies all logic, all religion, and all tradition. It makes a way when there is no way. It leaves the ninety-nine for the one. This kind of love took on sweat and blood- in all majesty and power- and a crown that pierced his head and a cross that broke his body, so we could know the depths of His Love.
This is the perfect love that you and I are given as a precious gift to know and experience for all of eternity. C.S. Lewis said it best, “God’s love is not wearied by our sins & is relentless in its determination that we be cured at whatever cost to us or to Him.” Sister, brother, friend, there is nothing that will stop the Artist of your heart, from loving you. He delights in knowing you.
There is so much more to God's Love that I will be writing to you about in the upcoming weeks together. Consider this the introduction as we dive into the beauty of His Mercy, Forgiveness, Compassion, and other characteristics of Love. The characteristics of who He is.
By the Artist Himself, you are loved beyond measure.
Xx,
Laurel
Letters of Love from the Artist Himself:
"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
"But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness. "
Psalm 86:15
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."
1 John 4:16
"You have searched me, LORD, and you know me."
Psalm 139:1
"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."
Jeremiah 31:3
And as always, feel free to write us if you need to just get something off your heart or for advice- we are In This Together Friend.
Write to:
A Letter To You
139 Oaklawn Drive
DeFuniak Springs, Fl 32435
To receive a text when our ‘letters to you’ come out every Thursday, text ‘@withlovex’ to 81010 !
Xx, MM & Laurel
