Intimate Love

At a recent party, Dustin and Christy, friends from church, gave me a belated birthday present. It was a lovely gift in a gift bag filled with tissue paper.  After the party, while cleaning out several similar bags for future use, I discovered a small envelope in the bottom of their bag. The note was addressed “My Love.” If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I might have realized this was probably not addressed to me.  But on rare occasions, older women I care about sometimes refer to me with this greeting, so I thought this might be one of those times.

I opened the card and began reading, “Dustin, You are the love of my life. I’m so thankful we started running this race together as a team so many (16+) years ago. There’s no one else I’d rather have to be my best friend, lover, and best father of our amazing kids. Happy Birthday! Always, Christianne” And then she writes, “I love our love story!” (Of course, I asked permission to include this very personal message in my blog today).

The depth of love, intimacy, and care in that simple note touched me in so many ways. Not only did it cause me to respect my friends, Dustin and Christy, even more (Dustin helps Reen and me with all our ministry website work), but I began to reflect on Christmas and the intimacy of God’s very personal message to each of us.

At Christmas, it is as if God tells us, “I love you so much I have actually sent you my own Son to demonstrate my love to you. I have sent Him to be born, live, die and rise again to save you from yourselves and your sin so that we could be in permanent and eternal relationship together. Let me be your best friend, your lover, and your Father.  Believe in my gift…my sacrifice… my Son, and run your race in life with me to receive an inheritance that will never fail.” We, too, can love our love story with God!

Paul tells us in Ephesians, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

So as you experience Your Refreshed Life, revel this Christmas in the truth that you are loved, known and intimately cherished by the God of the Universe who came as a baby and calls you His own now and forever when you believe!