I was just invited to a AACM gingerbread building event.  A sense of overwhelming numbers of people I'll be strangers to flooded my mind as a bit of anxiousness crept into my heart.  A good friend I had just met invited me to go and the event in itself at first glance had caught my eye. I wanted to go because of her but I immediately thought about the deep friendships people already have- who am I to think that I had a chance to catch up?   But perhaps this is exactly why deep down I want to go- to know the depths and the length people had gone to love one another.  To catch a glimpse of this unconditional love Jesus Himself had once prayed that we would have.  Maybe it's there?  We never know who at the exact moment needs it.  But perhaps the reality of it is that we all need it.  I want to become part of a church where people can be certain that they will find grace and open arms in any church body.  We were made to carry the certainty of adoption into  his family everywhere we go.  How precious is the flow that makes us white as snow!

Somehow, the Lord gave me confidence to join them.  He told me this is exactly how I feel about you. About those around you.  Because of My love for you, I'd go far, even to a place where people won't recognize me, won't care what I care about, won't take me seriously, and will even persecute me.  Why are you afraid to go to an outing event? Though you won't know all of them, you're not even going to be persecuted.  Because of My love for you, I went, lived, died, and rose again.  I was certain that My Father's love for Me can be grasped by you- with My help.  And even when you go to places where you will be persecuted, remember, I still always go before you.

He told me to go for that one person that invited you that you love.  You are now able to, with the confidence I just gave you because I loved first.   You are free and empowered to love because I loved them first.  Because He went for the people he loved.

So instead of asking who am I to think that I had a chance to catch up with aacm people, with all the miracles, breakthroughs, and growth- I found myself in awe of that fact that not only it's completely okay to join them, but I've been adopted to the family of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  The great Shepherd, King, and Counselor.

The question that remains is this:  what will I do with a love like this?

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Yeap- gingerbread house building.  Lord, you deserve every thought and every word.  May you be loved this Friday night, the days leading up to it, and the days following after. :)