from fog to love

Friday, March 4, 2011 (6:16 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

You are just so doggone good! Only You could take me from looking around at the fog and remind me [again! J] of Your description of love. Oh most dear and precious Lord, You are indeed SO good!

Thank You Lord. I was surprised with the fog this morning. Shocked not to be able to see across the street. How often do the things of this world, that are not loving, blind us from Your Truth of the things that are?

Blessed Lord, I read in Your Word about love. I so sincerely want to be able to love You, others and myself as Paul explains in chapter thirteen of his first letter to the people of Corinth.

As happens on occasion while considering the things Paul lists here as to what love is [as well as what it is not] I was again reminded of the cartoon strip “Love is…” Lord, it is not only daily reminders I need of what love truly is. I require moment-to-moment, situational cues.

I confess to You Lord, my nature still tends to run more toward my feelings, my desires, my own ‘take’ on things. Help me in this Lord. Keep working at making me more “kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude” (1Corinthians 13:4). I no longer want to be ‘selfish or quick tempered, keeping a record of wrongs others do’ (5). I want so much to be one who “rejoices in the truth, but not in evil, is always supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting” (6-7).

While these things still don’t come naturally to me Lord, I’ve seen You work. I’ve watched how You change people. It’s a little like glancing again out the window just now to see the fog that had momentarily lifted come rolling in again.

The Message offers these words, “When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good (11). We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us! (12) But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love (13).

Oh Most Dear and Blessed God, how I humbly ask that You would indeed teach me to love extravagantly. I confess to continuing to keeping score and counting the cost. Let me learn to love freely. Healthfully. Wholeheartedly. With all I am, all I feel, all I think and all I do (Mark 12:30). I love You Lord. Thank You again for taking me from fog to love. I love You. Amen.

(501 words ~ 7:42 a.m.)