Love, Love, Love.......

Well, I need to say that first of all, I'm not a fan of the Valentines Day. Very commercial.....and how romantic is it to get flowers on a day when EVERYONE else is getting them too? Maybe it's my need to stand out from a crowd, but I would much rather receive them on a day when no one else is.

I said that just to point out the fact that I haven't been sucked into this whole thing and the fact that my post today is about love is completely coincidental.



*****If you know what book I'm reading and you don't want it spoiled.....SPOILER ALERT.....don't continue reading*******





I recently read a book where the character was separated from the person she loved. For months she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She was literally in physical pain and couldn't function because of the loss. I found myself breathing heavy and my heart just aching as I read this book. Why? Because I know what that feels like. I know what it's like to love someone so much and not be able to be with them. I know what it feels like to have the breath sucked out of your body and think you won't be able to get out of bed and function that day.

I remember reading through almost 600 pages just begging for the two of them to be together again. I couldn't read it fast enough because I just KNEW they had to be together.

Eventually, the two characters are reunited and swear that nothing will keep them apart again. When I finished the book, I was exhausted......and SO relieved. (I also couldn't believe I cared so much about two fictional characters.....but I'll discuss that with a therapist and not you kind people.)

Last night, I began thinking about the fact that as deep as we can love, we can never even scrape the surface of the love that God has for us. It's amazing to me to realize the kind of love I have experienced before and to realize that it was imperfect. I'll never achieve the type of perfect love my Father has for me.

As gut wrenching as it is to be separated from someone you love, it is even worse on Him when we distance ourselves from Him. While we can never be permanently separated from Him, if we are a child of God, we can walk from a distance and that breaks His heart. His desire is to have us as close to Him as we can possibly be.

When I think of the ultimate act of love in the most selfless way it could have ever been expressed, which was the sacrifice of His Son for my sins, I never want to hurt Him or make Him feel pain from being separated from one you love. I don't want to walk so far away from Him that He aches for my return to the closeness I could have to Him.

Remember that as you continue in your relationship with the One who loves you more than anyone on this earth could ever compare to, He aches when you are far away and rejoices when you are near. Walk as closely to Him as you possibly can.