Back down memory lane ..... Journey of Love.

Hello,

I've been on quite a journey lately, but I'm here to tell you that every journey we take in life is valuable because there are some things that we hear, see, and experience along the way that we wouldn't have unless that journey had been taken. Well, I've been on a journey with the Lord. He has been taking me back down memory lane.  He has allowed me to share and I hope it encourages you.

For quite some time now God has been bringing to my remembrance how I felt the moment I first accepted Him in my life. Before the rules and regulations, before the pressure of performance, before I partnered with the lies of the enemy.  Before the disappointments, before the betrayal. He reminded me how I use to care more about who He was in me instead of me trying to prove to everyone who I was in Him. He was revealing to me how I felt before I allowed so much to complicate His Love for me. Before I worried about the titles and perception of other people. Before I felt like I had to measure up to everyone expectation of whom they think I should be, and what they think I should be doing. Before I tried to work to prove how much I love Him when in the beginning I simply loved Him because He first loved me.  See we think God needs us, but He messed up my theology and reminded me that the only thing that this world needed was a Savior and He took care of that need by sending His only begotten son. See He sent what was needed (A Savior) to get what He desired (Us) Intimacy! All he asked us to do was to tell the world that the Need has been met.! (The Gospel)

Revelation 2:1 – I know your deeds, your hard worked, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate the wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

I have a question for you, do you remember the first time you fell in love? Do you remember the first time you held that person's hand, do you remember when it seemed like an eternity since the last time you seen them even though it had only been a day or two? Do you remember the times you looked into their eyes and you could see they were created to love and to be loved? Do you remember how they made you feel when you were in their presence, how those butterflies would spread their wings and began to awaken something within you? Do you remember? Do you remember the very moment you put your fragile heart on the line and found the courage to say those three letter words, "I Love You"? Do you remember the first time someone said those words to you and made you feel like you could dance upon the clouds forever?  

Often times in relationships we forget. The extraordinary experiences we had in the beginning become ordinary occurrences. We forget the first kiss, the first date, and we forget the joy and freedom of being in love.

One day I was in a worship service and I felt the presence of God all over me. I felt His Love trickling through my soul. I had no words to express what I was experiencing.  Then His Spirit in His Faithfulness began to speak for and through me, these are the words to the song that flowed from my heart: "Take me back when I would do anything just to be with you. Take me back to the time when I would just sing to you and when I slept you sang a love song over me. Take back when I awoke in the mornings and I knew I had been in the presence of my lover, take me back to the times I walked on water with you, take me back when I use to stay up all night talking with you even if I had to go to work or school because it was worth the sacrifice and it didn't matter because your love always energized me, take me back when I would lay in front of the fire place and even though it wasn't lit I could feel the warmth of your presence. Take me back when everyone could see the passion for you in my eyes. Take me back when I didn't care what was going on in my world because it was me and you against the world. Take me back when I took you at your word, take me back when I couldn't wait to tell everyone I was loved and in love, take me back when I felt safe and secure in your arms, take me back before the I allowed the trails and tribulation of life cloud the reality of your love for me. Take me back when knowing that you loved me was enough. Take me back when I allowed you to be my strength when I was weak. Take me back when I trusted you to provide for me when I couldn't do it by myself. Take me back when I could feel the warmth of your love hover over me.  Like an everlasting candle I could smell your fragrance from afar and it brought me assurance that you are always with me and you will never leave or forsake me. Take me back when the light of your love would illuminate my path whenever I felt lost. Take me back… I want to remember when I felt alive and free just being!"

Yes I was crying out to my lover.  Think about this for a minute, we are to be rooted and grounded in love. Paul says: "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19). We can't wrap our carnal mind around the unknown. We are to be anchored in His love; steadfast, and unmovable. Everything we do should flow from His Love which is our crux, our center, our fountain, our nucleus, the essence of who we are, it's the foundation which we stand on, it's the rich soil that we are rooted in, it is the vantage point of how we look at everyone and everything. His love is our everything and the absence of His love simply means we exist.  Paul prayer is that we comprehend with all saints in Heaven and on Earth what is the depth and height and width and length of an infinite God and His love for us.  It can't be measured by our own comprehension but with the indwelling of His Spirit we can experience His Love that surpasses knowledge. Yes, we can experience a love that surpasses that which we've been taught. We spend too much time doing instead of being. We get lost on this journey of love with God. Sometimes we need to check our roots; we need to make sure our foundation is one of love.  When His Spirit becomes one with our spirit we birth from the Spirit. We then begin to live in the fullness of God and His Love, Peace, Joy, Kindness, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, and Self-Control flows through us and keeps us no matter what comes our way, and we are reminded that nothing can separate us from the Love of God which we have been rooted and grounded in. Be Ye Encouraged and know that you are Loved!!! It's time for us to get back to our first Love.  We are so busy doing that forget how to just be! Can you just allow yourself to be Loved? God's Love is enough. It's time most powerful weapon in the world. God's Love defeated the enemy two thousand years ago and it is that very love that gives us an eternity with our Lover!  Ask the Lord to take you back !

 

Tiffany James, Encouraging Touch Enterprise
"Give a gift that creates a Legacy to Encourage, Inspire, and Bless those you love for a life time"

  http://www.encouragingtouch.com/