Contagious is (one of) His Ways

How do you experience God’s love? Is he a demanding, unloving dictator? Is he out to test you all the time in order to label you with stars or red marks? No one is like our God. His ways are past finding out, but his love is not. God allows us to share in his glory and dwell in his presence for one reason only: “Because he so loved us…”

Some of you struggle with allowing God to be your Lover. You keep him at a distance because your experience with him has been seemingly harsh and factual. There is no doubt you have gone through hard times. I don’t discredit those at all. Eventually, one day, however, you will know that even in those hard times, he was loving you just the same… the same as yesterday, today and forever.

I was a tad legalistic as a child, and, although I experienced God’s grace, there lingered a fear that somehow God cared more about me “getting it” than just enjoying his daily presence and allowing him to daily lead me in that way. In fact, if I were honest, I’d have to say I still have to be reminded sometimes that grace AND truth walk together in the Person of Love.

In mulling over this concept, I was motivated some years ago to write a poem about how God causes me to fall in love with him and the daily work he has for me to do.

To Him whom my heart loveth so

I consider it pleasure still

To serve the weak and low

His heart has become my will

At a time did I believe

My Love would share his will

To solely refine, force, and test me

Till I could bear it utterly still

Who is this who teaches faith

As to fling your heart on the unknown

If faith is by hearing what he says

Than faith comes after he is known

Instead, do I not of sore regret

But taking pains and time

For the relationship it begets

I make his treasure mine

For this I know of my Love

He is yet my truest friend

A friend demands not his own interest

Is instead contagious, inviting in

Through his “catching” joy

As he draws his daily map

Does my heart leap to employ

All my efforts on His path

This is how my Lovely does

That spark a catching flame

Causing all who follow to fall in love

With a vision just the same

-Abigail Wiggins,