Saturday, June 1, 2013

He calls me BELOVED

In the midst of cleaning out, I ran across a letter written to me by Hilary (a young lady that God brought to live with me for a time)... can't remember exactly but some where around 2007-2008... A perfect reminder of how God puts people in our lives to bring encouragement and uplift.  Had to "publish" this because it still blesses my heart!

dear Angela,

Let me tell you a story... there was once a woman who said, "LORD, I will go wherever you send me." and He said "even to an island in the middle of a vast empty sea?"

and she said, "Yes, LORD"
and He said, "even all alone?"
and she hesitated.  All she'd ever wanted was to be known... but her heart stirred, and from the deep, she spoke out, "Yes, LORD"

So He sent her across the continent.  Across the sea, to an island, small and wild and lonely and filled with beauty and brokenness.

"These are my children, love them." He said.
She gulped.
His children could be so hard to love. So trying. So hurtful.

"Love them like I love you" He whispered to her daily. "Love them like I love you"

The years passed by... heartache and toil and joys in between.  For seven years she continued on lonely.

"Oh, God, I am so lonely, no one knows the depths of my heart, the secrets of my soul." she said
"I do" He answered
"God, just send someone to love me."
"I do" He answered again.

Along came a young man.  He looked at her differently.  Like he noticed her before he saw anyone else in the room. 

He said things to her that echoed thoughts that had never left her lips.

She felt known.

She felt alive.  Beautiful.  Desired.

One day, she was hurting, and the young man didn't understand.  He was standing right before her and she felt utterly alone.

She walked away.

Confused.  Still hurt.  And now her soul stinging with salt in its wound.

"Oh God.  I am so lonely.  No one knows the depths of my heart or the secrets of my soul." she said.
"I do"  He said
"I just want someone to love me." she said
"Darling, I do" He said

And for the first time, in perhaps a very long time- those words pierced her heart.  All walls crumbled down.  She heard HIM.  Her LORD, declare His love and devotion to her.

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her... in that day you will call me husband, you will no longer call me master.  I will betroth you to me forever.  Yes I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion.  And I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.  Then you will know the LORD."

She heard His voice, and she knew Him.  This was not her master, this was her Husband, and she was His beloved.

She was not alone and she was known.

Daily, she enjoyed life as the Bride of the King.  She learned what it was to be loved by Him... what it was to truly be know.  She learned how to love and have compassion and lovingkindness.  Her days of intimate time with Him, the LORD brought her more joy and wisdom than she had ever known. 

She was free to love.  And be loved.

One day, a young man came again.  She tried to shove him away- she wanted nothing to separate her from this glorious love she knew with God.

But the LORD smiled.

And the young man stuck around. 

"My darling, you've learned to offer love, and to receive it, and so much more." said Her LORD.  "Now go be with this one I have prepared for you.  Share in my love.  Delight together in me, and in each other."

So they did. 

And they knew the power of true love.

Because they knew WHO their Beloved was and what it meant to BE LOVED!

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