"I love you so"

The morning started off good, until we were walking out the door and my son couldn't find his jacket.  At this point, I was not happy and did not display calm and rational behavior.  Even after feeble attempts at apologies in the car, we arrived at church with a lot of tension among us.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who stopped and prayed over us before we entered the building.  What came next when I opened the bulletin ought to make everyone reading this laugh and know that the Lord is intimately involved in our lives.

The title of the message was "I am dead to sinful pursuits, but alive in the Spirit" and the scripture passage was Galatians 5:19-26.  I couldn't believe it, and showed it to my husband and told him how appropriate for me.  See, Galatians 5:22-23 is in many places in my house and is one of the scriptures I love. I have a strong desire and know my life should be producing this fruit as a child of the Living God.  This is a scripture that I refer to a great deal with my boys, in training them up.

While the message at church did not necessarily contain information that was unfamiliar to me, it did impact me and comforted me.  I felt the love of the Lord taking me aside as a parent would do with their child after disciplining them.  He reminded me of what the traits of sin were and then how He expected me to live.  I was looking up to Him in my spirit, taking in the caring that resounded from Him.  It was so tender and sweet.

After we were home, my husband shared with me, how he was as a young boy and teenager, and how his parents responded to him when he did wrong.  See my Mother-n-law and Father-n-law exhibit very loving and caring qualities that are characteristic of Christ.  They love rather than hate, they instruct rather than tear down, they give generously without a need to receive anything in return, they give of their time, love and resources unconditionally.  These are qualities that my husband and I desire to have in our own lives especially in raising our sons.  We have been blessed that they have been close, so that we can learn from them and learn how to respond in love as his parents did with him when he was growing up.

While today may sound like a "bad" day, I take delight in it.  It was today that I saw again, how much my Heavenly Father loves me, even when I may not behave as He desires. I am still the precious child He created and He has not, and says He will not leave me nor forsake me.  I feel so blessed that our Heavenly Father doesn't give up on us or ridicule us for our failings, yet gently corrects us and gives us direction for our good!

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires. 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"

Galatians 5:22-25

A picture that the worship leader painted of Jesus this morning was very special to me.

When Jesus looked at Peter after he had betrayed Jesus, His look was not one of "I told you so", but was one of "I love you so".  That is how I want to remember the face of my Savior as He looks into my eyes and tells me "I love you so".