The Greatest of These is LOVE.

Yesterday while sitting in church Dr. Stanley posed the question "Why did God allow us to chose between sin and Him?" I must admit this question was a bit baffling to me. Why? If God loved all of us so much, why did he allow something that would separate us from Him? He didn't create sin...but why would he allow it? Dr. Stanley continued and made a point that really struck me... he simply said, "Love is a choice. If we didn't have sin we wouldn't have anything to chose God over." Sin is me choosing not to love God while at the same time God in all of his Love for me created Jesus to redeem my sin. Ok, this is one of those profound moments in my life where I sit there slowing letting a truth sink in while on the inside jumping up and down saying, "Yes, that's it! That's exactly it!"

For some reason the Lord has been constant with me on the issue of Love. It started almost 3 years ago sitting at my desk at work one day in the Mountains of NC. I had really just come to one of those valley moments in life where everything around you seems to be a big mountain to high to climb and the valley is so dark and lonely. I was crying out to the Lord in the depths of my heart asking him why I was where I was. In my own self pitty I let God know that my life hadn't turned out at all how I had planned AT ALL. Everything I had hoped for was gone. The job I had wanted was back in Atlanta, the man I thought I was going to marry had left me with a broken heart, the things I wanted to do with my life not even an option anymore, and my perfect world turned upside down. As I sat there broken hearted and crying out to the Lord, he ever so gently reminded me of one LITTLE, HUGE word...."love"

There is no doubting when your creator speaks to your heart and tells you something. He so gently and loving said to me that day, "Rebecca, my purpose for your life is to love those around you." Ok, God just stopped me in my pity party tracks. There was peace, love, healing, and even a gentle rebuke in those words. It hit me in the head like a 2x4. God didnt put me here to do ____x____ job, or live in _____x_____ place, or make ___x____ amounts of money....I have one purpose and one purpose alone. He created me to be a vessel of HIS love to those around me. WOW!!!! Can I just tell you right now that this thought thrills me and terrifies me all at the same time? My most Holy God wants my life to be a reflection of HIS love to those around me. If only I could wrap my litte finite brain around that concept and let it all register deep within my heart. Let me just say in all honesty...I fail. My goodness do I ever fail. How can I begin to have a heart as big and as pure as God's? It doesn't even take much of a look into my heart to see just how short of that line I fall.

3 years into it and still falling short, I'm pushing forward. So many times this feels like 1 setp forward and 3 steps back...but if we, and by we I mean I, ME, could ever have God's heart for those around me, think how revolutionary that would be for our world.