by Ann Stewart Porter

Created on: May 10, 2010   Last Updated: May 13, 2010

I saw the bumper sticker. God loves you. I memorized the Bible Verse. For God so loved the world that He gave His only, begotten Son. I read about how God loved me while I was still unlovable and unfit for heaven. I am comforted by words from the old hymns about the love of Jesus. I am especially emotional when I hear the Praise and Worship song " Love you so much ". I like the idea of love. I love how love feels so good and warm and precious. I think of myself as a loving person, but I will never be able to fathom the depths of a love that sent God's Son to die for me on a Cross. This remains totally beyond any human understanding. Yet, I believe it to be ture and I receive it by faith from a God who says He loved me first.

The idea of us loving God is unique. This sets Him apart from any other human designed god. I have read the Tao and other books of other gods. They tell me Buddha saved himself and that is the lesson. Others saved nations and tried to bring peace. Jesus became our Peace. I love that.  I love that God wants a relationship with me!. No other god claims to have created me, died for me, made a way for me to live with Him forever and loves me the way that Jesus loves me.  I am challenged by his command to love the Lord, your God, with all your mind, heart and spirit. The fact that he personalized it by saying 'your' God just makes me feel stronger about doing it.  His love is so vibrant, so full, so awake. It seems logical that he would desire we love Him and that we love others, although as the saying goes...easier said than done.

After all, what does this love mean to me in terms of how I live it out in my everyday living? Mother Theresa believed her love and sacrifices were ways of loving Christ. I haven't even been to India, so does this mean I need to rethink the geographics of my life for Christ?  Amy Carmichael filled a tiny, but powerful book beginning with the word ' If ' and often ended with ' then I know nothing of Calvary love'. She mentions things like ' if I love to be served, rather than serving, then I know nothing of Calvary love.'  She speaks of if she feels bitter toward someone who condemns her, if monotony tries her, if interruptions annoy her, if something she is asked to do feels burdensome, if the praise of men elates her,  if stupid people fret her or if she can speak of a child's misdoings, then she knows nothing of Calvary love.

I read on because even though I feel like a complete

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