I Love You to You and Back

April 23, 2022

So a weird thing happened early this morning. My phone rang. My phone goes to bedtime mode early in the evening and is on vibrate even when it is not. But I awoke to my phone vibrating with a call from California. I did not answer it. Then I saw a text message with a verification code for WhatsApp: someone was  trying to register my phone number on their device. I opened WhatsApp and also saw the message there, but it also said to ignore it if it wasn’t me. So I did. I did a quick check to make sure that my number was private on Instagram (yes I know nothing about Instagram) and then I prayed and put down the phone. 

Then came a bathroom call which I answered and it’s then I realised that I had prayed about it and left it there. I am sometimes still in amazement with how much you have changed me. I don’t think that prayer would have been so quick to my mind six months ago. I would have spent thirty minutes worrying. I gotta say thank you!! Thank you for your spirit in me. Thank you for fixing my focus on you. Thank you for your love. 

I’m up a bit earlier than our usual time, but I don’t think you would mind. The time has switched over to a new date and I’m alive. I am healthy, I am in my right mind and I am so thankful. Thank you for being my shield, my protector, the always present, all knowing God who loves me. I still get excited at that thought. That you really, really love me and desire me. I know it’s totally small in comparison but I do love you and I am thankful that you accept my love. That you rejoice in my love. 

Heart Matters

You know what also amazes me about the human heart? Its capacity to love. I used to say that when I fall/grow in love that the person would get 49% of my heart and you would get 51%. But that’s not the way you made us. My love for you is 100%. My love for them is 100%. My love for my parents is 100%. My love for Yahweh is 100%. And yet it’s all in one heart and that’s so amazing. Remarkable. And I’ve honestly decided to stop saying that your love or anything you do is “unbelievable.” Why? Because everything about you requires belief. And I can’t be in belief and unbelief at the same time. So you are remarkable. Your love is incredible. What you do is beyond my wildest, most creative imagination, but it’s believable. Because it’s from you. 

Thank you for being an amazing God who delights in me. Who desires the best for every single one of us on this earth. That is amazing! Thank you, I love you to you and back. And you know what’s awesome about that? You’re so close that you’re right there and yet you stretch to the end (?) of the cosmos because you are God. I am looking forward to that day. Like looking forward. I wouldn’t have to hop on a plane or a boat to travel far. Don’t know how it will be done, but I know it will. Thank you for your promises. Thank you for you. 

I think that at the rate I’m going I may end up highlighting the whole of Isaiah. (facepalm)

Isaiah 62:1 – For Zion’s sake I will not remain silent. For Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness shines like the dawn and its salvation burns brightly like a torch.

Isaiah 62:6-7 – I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. Whoever calls on the Lord, do not give yourselves any rest, and do not give him any rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it an object of praise throughout the earth.

Tell me Yahweh isn’t incredible!! As I look at these scriptures, I believe that they are related (besides being in the same chapter). I am amazed at your promises. And no this can’t be summed up in one or two words. This is a PROMISE. Your words brought this earth into existence and you only rested (as a sign) when your work was complete. Here you are promising to speak until your promise is fulfilled. You won’t stop speaking until your promise is fulfilled. And we may be wondering that since you created the heavens and earth in six literal days, why is it taking so “long” for the restoration? Because of us. Yahweh is infinite. We are not.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.

He desires to save us all. But we have to also desire to be saved. He will keep on speaking. Working behind the scenes. He will not rest until everyone has that opportunity. We know that he doesn’t need rest. But the rest is a sign of celebration. He is holding off on the celebration to save us. So that we can all be restored to him (but we will have to choose him). 

He wants us to remind him of his promises towards us. This isn’t a whining, “God! What’s taking so long?!!!” Stamps feet and prances away type of reminding. The truth is he doesn’t need reminding. But we do. So we praise him everyday, day and night. We ought to live a life of praise so that he sees our worship and would honour it. He inhabits our praise. Our praise keeps Yahweh ever before us. And as part of the reward he makes us (Jerusalem) an object of praise throughout the earth.

Thank you for your amazing, remarkable promises. I’m definitely not finished with this chapter, but honestly it’s so much that I just want what I got to marinate before continuing. Thank you for your remarkable incredible love. You deserve incredible praise. 

CONFESSION: I’ve kind of always imagined Isaiah (and many of the prophets) as doom and gloom. It’s funny, because I think I’ve read Isaiah before. But going through it now, so far is a book of promises! Of restoration that showcases an amazing God! 

Assumptions, Assumptions

Sometimes you make assumptions based on our perspective. A statement such as, “You’re employed, what you doing with your money?” in response to someone asking for help is, in my opinion, hurtful. There’s something called the working poor. There are people who have a job but sometimes bills pile up, things happen and they are barely treading water. We should not make those statements. Even if you may not be able to help them, this is the wrong type of judgment and yes, this is my judgment call. 

Note to Self: 

1. Don’t talk yourself out of the promises of God.
2. God’s people are not supposed to live by facts. God’s people live by faith.
3. We put accelerant on our faith by talking faith. 
4. We need to remember how Yahweh has worked in the past. Not focus on it because it’s in the past, but to use it as a testament that he always has plans for us. Good plans. 

I absolutely love when Yahweh confirms something. Earlier today, I wrote on an envelope about a miracle that was performed this week that was delivered in that envelope. I am going to keep the envelope as a reminder. In a way, I felt silly because I didn’t want it to become an idol but to just be a reminder. I continued reading the book I was reading and the next chapter spoke about how as humans we often forget and that we should make an effort to remember and give thanks for the extra special moments that Yahweh have given us – and then he said (the writer) that he kept the boarding pass as a reminder.

Whether or not it was confirmed, I was going to keep it as a reminder because it was truly an amazing experience. But it was nice to have that confirmation.