"We love each other because He loved us first." - 1Peter 4:19

Today I choose to focus on love! Yesterday I spent a good part of my day working on relationships...I began of course by spending time with God, but I felt the need to invest in the fundamental relationships in my life. I went to my parents house and brought with me an excellent talk from Elijiah House, about honoring your mother and father and rebellion. I had been given this cd more than a year ago during a time in which God seemed to be pointing out my quiet rebellions...the subtle sins which had been sewn into the fabric of my character from childhood. These childhood strongholds had become integrated into the root system of my personality. During a time in which I didn't truly understand the world, God, or even myself...all of my opinions had been  formed.

I asked my parents to listen to this cd with me...and after opening our time with prayer, we sat together with eyes closed and hearts open. What was amazing to me was the immediate sense of fellowship...here we were united at the table, the very same table where many of my rebellions had taken root. But we were now, years later, sitting together in Christ, agreeing to dig into the soils of our hearts and pull up the roots which had been trying to strangle our love for one another. The enemy and the world had sown weeds and thorn bushes which had been choking our family unity.

In just a little over two hours, we listened, we talked...we cleared the gardens of our hearts, we pulled weeds, cleared brush, cast away stones and tilled the ground. In just one morning God had unified what had been separated...He had healed what had been broken...He had covered our sins with His love. 

This is what God does...He is always making something new. The key to all of this goodness was actually listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit...allowing myself to dare to believe that my stepping out in love would make a difference.

I cannot explain what happened yesterday, but years of misunderstanding and hurt are gone.

Thank you Lord for loving us so that we can love in return.

You may wonder what this has to do with my trip to Malawi...I would say "everything"...I don't want to miss any opportunities to minister when I am there, I have been praying for the Lord to strengthen me and my witness...Yesterday He answered that prayer in a way I could never have imagined.