Yesterday's sermon was a powerful one. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the simple, powerful, transforming, counter-intuitive love of God. The line that stood out the most to me was (paraphrasing), "I have a Father who can help me with any pain and make me whole through it." Powerful. What a perfect and tremendous follow-up to what Melissa shared last week! Didn't Melissa just give us a hands-on example of God's transforming love?
Being somewhat analytical and critical (in a good way, I hope!), I often have a hard time simply accepting something I cannot fully analyze. I sometimes find it hard to experience God's love for me and my love for God because of being analytical. What exactly does it mean for God to love me? What does it mean for me to love God? Of course we all have different experiences of God's love. Some more obvious and tangible than others. For me, yesterday's experience of God's love was to rest--to rest my analysis and critique and exercise some loyalty (or, faith) to the God who has revealed himself as love.
Any other experiences of God's love that come to mind for you?
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Before the sermon even got started I looked across the sanctuary and saw Alex with his new son, and caught a glimpse of Ed carrying his son out of the room. It struck me about how precious a father is to us. Whether our earthly fathers were good, kind, harsh, or strict, I believe their love for us is beyond description. Sometimes it is not expressed to us, or tested to its fullest.
The other points of the discussion really appealed to the "performance" based person I tend to be. When we can shrug off all of the "expectations" of others and ourselves, we can love freely. I'm not there yet.
I totally lost it during the description of adopting the handicapped child. I could not ... would not have the courage, yet God was pressing on my heart.
All of my "get over it" friends can know there is hope for me!
Marcia--thanks for the comment. I am a performance based person, too, in alot of ways. There is just no rest for the need to accomplish. You can never satisfy that desire if you want it for it's own sake. Unconditional, free grace is completely counter and foreign to my natural mentality, then. I am looking to grow in that acceptance.
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