Hello Julie, It’s me…God.

I
love it when God chooses to enter into my little mommy “have I even
brushed my teeth today?” world and let me know beyond a shadow of a
doubt that it is HE who is speaking to me.

At church we are studying Better Together, What on Earth are WE Here For?…The Forty Days of Community
by Rick Warren.  I have to admit when I first learned of our
church's commitment to this study/devotional I was less than
thrilled.  I am already involved in a ladies bible study on
Wednesday mornings and can barely get that work done each week. 
But since my husband was leading the group we attend I decided to put
on my submissive wife hat and begin reading the book.  Wow! 
What a book!

My Wednesday morning Bible study group I mentioned is studying the book of John and it's an awesome study.

At the same time my love for Christian fiction has me reading When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker. 
So there you have it. 
1,2, and 3!!

Since God seems to confirm things in threes to me I wasn't surprised,
just overjoyed when I found God speaking to me about what love really
looks like.

I knew He was beginning to lead me into new
territory as I found myself overwhelmed by the passion in which the
main character of When Heaven Weeps
loves the woman God has chosen for him.  It's just a shadow of His
love for us but it was so overwhelmingly passionate, full of grace and
lacking any condemnation or judgement.  I found myself trying to
wrap the arms of my mind around the concept of such a love.

God further confirmed in me His desire to teach me something new
through my study in the book of John.  In Chapter 1 verses 35-51 I
found myself drawn to the story of Jesus' first disciples.  After
John the Baptist points John and Andrew to Jesus they immediately
follow.  What's the first thing Andrew does after finding
Jesus?  He finds his brother Simon and tells him. After Phillip is
called he immediately finds Nathanael to tell him about Jesus. 
The first two disciples has now grown to five disciples.  John,
Andrew, Simon, Phillip and Natanael.  All because of LOVE.

Do I run to tell the people I love about Jesus?  “Look what I've found…..the lamb, the Lord, my Jesus!”

As all this is happening within the same few day I begin reading Forty
Days of Community.  One of the first devotion says “The essence of
love is not what we think or do or provide for others, BUT how much we
give of ourselves.”  “Be full
of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and
gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins.” (Ephesians
5:2 LB)  It goes on to say:

• “A heart transformed by God is a heart that loves.”

• “Love is patient.  Impatience is not love.”

• “Being
  patient demands a cost; we have to set aside our agenda and yield our
  rights in order to 'welcome each other with open arms.'” 

• “Love is patient.  That means it puts up with a lot for a long time.“

Do I love this way? 
When one of my children has asked me something for the millionth time am I patient?
Do I realize that God loves me with a love that is so incredibly passionate?  Passionate enough to die for?

I sadly bow my head and answer, “No”. 

But then I feel it rise as my Jesus puts his finger underneath my chin,
raises my eyes to his and looks at me with a burning passionate
neverending love.  And I smile, knowing it's not about me but it's
all about Jesus.  He is the One who can allow me to love the way
He loves me. 

“Thank
you Lord for a love that burns so fiercely.  Brand that love into
my own heart so that I may love others with a love that feels
passionate, unhuman and different from anything they've ever felt
before.”