Because He First Loved Me! Feb 20, 2012

O how I love Jesus! O how I love Jesus! O how I love Jesus because He first loved me!!

I've sung this song all my life!  Know that Jesus loved me first...that God, who is love, came to earth to live among us...Jesus...Emanuel..and that Holy Spirit sought me...He looked for me and found me! 

I have a story to tell to the Nations!!!  It is all sooo wonderful!!  The most wonderful love story of all!!!

Just a few days ago, I received from my niece by marriage, the following:

love, anguish, compassion

          1 John 4:7-8 

Let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is Love.

There are two kinds of love; wordly love and Godly love. What is true Godly or biblical love? It is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. We are instructed to show this love to everyone we know, everyone we meet, and everyone we like and even those who we don’t like. With true biblical love comes anguish and compassion. This unconditional love for others turns into anguish. The anguish then turns into compassion; the passion to help, lead and serve others. Before my deepening in faith I thought I loved people and yeah, I was polite to everyone and was never deliberately mean to anyone but I wasn’t showing the true love of God. And when I saw people who were less fortunate I felt sorry for them and everything, but it’s not the same. Now that Christ has full dominion over my heart, I see and connect with people so differently. I can sense the hurt and pain within people. And I feel it’s my job to listen, help, and to show love and compassion. The anguish and the strong desire for others is what drives our compassion.

1 Corinthians 13:13 

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest is love

This was written by my great niece.  She wrote it about a year ago for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her school. Rebecca will graduate this year, and she plans to be a nurse.  Her Mama is my husband's, brother's daughter.

I was sooo touched when her Mom sent this to me.  She knew I would love it because of the history we have.  I was the aunt by marriage that was not really one of her favorite people.  When she was little, we were ok, but during her somewhat tumultuous teen-age years, I was walking closer and closer to the LORD.

I was in my 30's when I found Jehovah Rophe, my healer! My oldest was healed of l'egg perthes disease.  My youngest was healed of a regenerated liver.

My niece's parents divorced, and she married very young. Her oldest daughter was born during this marriage.  Her 2nd daughter and son were born during her 2nd marriage. 

Mommy, my mother inlaw, who kept her all her young life, and who became my best friend after I was in my 40's, died in 1997.  At that time, I was able to tell my niece how much her grandmother loved her, and that one of the last times she and I were together, Mommy had asked me to pray for her.

We didn't talk for a long time, but years later, I called her to be my exercise coach. That didn't last long, but the time we had together showed both of us how much we're loved by the LORD. She had pretty much hit bottom while we were not connected, but she had come through and had turned her life over to Jesus.

Well, I was sooo blessed!!! The LORD had heard my promise to my mother inlaw on her death bed that I was going to bring them all...my last words to her.  She couldn't talk...but she squeezed my hand.  I was seeing Jesus in action loving me ...and Mommy...by loving our Kellie.  Too awesome!

Now, my niece is remarried and soooo happy!!!! God is not only the God of 2nd chances!!! He's the God of as many chances as we need to get it right!  This precious young woman is the mother of 6 children...that's right 6.  She has a testimony that won't quit!!! Her story will bless anyone!!!! She's a gift to the body of Christ...revealing His love for us!!!

Seeing her daughter..who looks sooo much like her to me...and seeing her love the LORD is just the best of the best!!!!

O how I love Jesus!!! Why?? Because He first loved me!!!!