He Loves Me

What a romance...

Every day God reveals to me how much He loves me. He highlights specific blessings in my life to show me that He's near - That He's listening. 

Yesterday He filled my heart with so much joy. He highlighted the faces of all the people that love me, and oh, they love me well. 

I was nervous early yesterday morning realizing that it was my twenty-fifth birthday. All of the things I hoped to accomplish by 25, I've accomplished none. This hit me hard for a split second, BUT GOD of course wouldn't let me sit in that awful place for very long. He quickly gave me this beautiful story book of all the things I have accomplished these past two years since choosing to walk with Him wholeheartedly, that completely surpass anything I imagined for myself. I really wish I could burn the story on a disc to share, but how amazing is it that we have an intentional Father who is very personal. He made that story book just for me, and for me only. It's between us. I love that. He didn't stop there though, He revealed to me a piece of what He has for me. I cannot express the excitement in my heart. It is just so perfect.

Throughout the day I walked past those highlighted blessings, sat across them at lunch tables, worshiped besides them in service, read such sweet birthday messages from them, and ate some delicious fro-yo along side them. I felt so loved and so celebrated all day long. Then God spoke...

"Daughter, I send you these people not to show you how much they love you, but to show you how much I love you. I loved you first."

"I loved you first"... That just set so well with my heart. My plans failed because He loved me first. These new journeys He's been taking me on from missions to children's ministry to worship are all because He loved me first. How blessed are we to live under the leadership of a God who loved us first.

Walk in that.

As for being 25, I choose to walk in the excitement that the Lord placed in my heart.

It's going to be amazing - I just know it.

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So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11  MSG