We’ve been talking about love a lot here at Choose Conference, and I’ve experienced a new depth to love that I didn’t even know existed. You see, I became a Grandma for the first time last week, and it’s been amazing! Baby Paeson James was born on Thursday, and he will be living in our city for eight weeks before he heads to his new home in Phoenix. I know there will be lots of tears when that day comes!
I knew being a grandparent would be awesome because I have watched my siblings and friends gush about how wonderful grandchildren are, but the experience has been even greater than I imagined. It’s a higher love than I dreamed was even possible.
Leave it to our Heavenly Father, the author of love, to do that. Just when we think our hearts are full, we can’t possibly squeeze out any more love, God gives us the power to love exponentially more. He enables our hearts to grow with each person He places in our lives to love. That’s the beauty of love, it never ever runs out.
Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Ephesians 3:19 TPT
The extravagant love of God that fills us to overflowing, that’s what we all desire in life. And the unexpected blessing this week has been that this newfound love for my grandson has opened my eyes even further to the depth of God’s love for me, this higher love our souls long for. If I, a very imperfect human, can love this little 7 lb. bundle of joy so profoundly and so deeply, how much more does the author and perfecter of love adore me.
It’s hard to take all of it in, to be honest.
But what about those other kind of days when we don’t feel very lovable? What then?
Like many of you, I’m fighting off feelings of despair and feeling like a total failure in the midst of all this joy. The COVID situation has continued to shut down my world and keeps me from getting out in front of people and doing what I am called to do, share God’s love with others. It’s the thing that feeds my soul.
But the Holy Spirit revealed something very interesting to me literally as I’m writing this blog. If it wasn’t for COVID, I would be out on the road right now, away from my home. I would not have the opportunity to spend this precious time with my grandson.
This shutdown has provided me with this priceless opportunity for snuggle time. Oh, the blessings God provides in the midst of all the things we go through if we just have the eyes to see them!
I will more than likely remain in a topsy-turvy state where one minute I am in Grandma heaven and the next I’m worried sick about when things will open up because that’s the nature of being human. We never get things completely right.
But I am choosing for today, at least, to be grateful for the higher love God has shown me in this new season of life; and I am going to do my very best to not miss a single snuggle!
I’m also going to do my very best to take in the learning He’s revealing to me as I discover that the more love I pour out to others, the more I feel His love for me. It’s so against the ways of this world because we are so used to things of this earth having limits, but God’s love truly has no limits and transcends our understanding.
He invites each and every one of us to fully immerse ourselves in His higher love, an extravagant love that passes all understanding. A love that has no limits. A love that will fill us to overflowing so we can pour out that love to others.
Let’s choose that higher love today!
Hugs and love,
Jill