Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Love Stories: How Cliche on Valentine's Day

Let's be honest...(#honestycouch)
I know I don't have a "readership".
When I was younger I was overly zealous (about most things) and therefore went about most things all wrong. I'm probably going about this all wrong as well. But I don't really care this morning. I woke up with with a heart full of what is about to poured out before you. 


Kyle and I have a beautifully hard love story that is a glorious and an illuminous shadow of redemption. And I would love to tell you that love narrative that God is writing for us someday, but that is not the story I woke up thinking about on this Valentine's Day. 


I learned a few years ago a remarkable verse, I had never heard. 

Isaiah 55:11


11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Now, for someone else, this might impact them in some other way but to me that reminded me of how over zealous and backward I had been as a youth. It also reminded me of this sketch.






I sketched this in high school, in fact, I have an entire book of sketches that are of the same nature as this one. You can see my passion for art and Jesus colliding and were in over zealous bloom in high school. Take a closer look. Notice anything wrong with him? Maybe you caught it at first glance. It took me a long time to notice that I had drawn his hand upside down. It was at this juncture in my life that I think other events were colliding as well and I began to question both my zeal, my gift and passion for God and for art. So I put them both away for a while. Simply, but not entirely, because I'd drawn him wrong.

Years later, when I'd ventured back to the church, to God and the bible and I began to study and the year I studied Isaiah, that verse stunned me. You mean to tell me that even if I'm ridiculous, still chalked full of insecurities, overly zealous, misplaced or backward... that your word can still accomplish your purpose...in spite of me. 

Yes.

Geek out with me for a moment-
I hope God would not roll his heavenly eyes at this (if he were capable of such) because what I really want to do is bring this do to a *me level* understanding. Remember-I'm bad at math. I do word pictures.

Think about it like it's Thor's hammer. Thor's hammer always return to him. No matter the distance. It also always accomplishes his intents (remember: Thor's hammer can be used to build or to destory). He can use it in battles or however he pleases and the hammer obeys...it doesn't have to be in his hands. He does his will and accomplishes his will as it flys through time and space (and realms) Right?! 

Now, that the smallest, tiniest illustration that could even compare to the magnitude of God's Will and His Truth and His Word and His Love. But its brings it down enough that I can wrap my brain around it enough to get over myself. Because that's really what the whole point it. God needs me to get out of my own way and out of his way. Because even if I draw his hand on upside down or inside out or even if I say the wrong thing or even if I'm overly _____ (fill in the blank)...he can still use me. He can still use you. In fact he wants to. He chose you. He assigned you. He picked me like red rover, red rover, send Meg right over - because he knew that even though I might be *get out the list* I also loved him so much that I filled a sketch book with thoughts of him. I was overly zealuos for him. And even when the world shamed me into thinking I wasn't enough for him...I came back to him. 

And I know I write epically long blog posts. 
I know I do. I'm sorry but not sorry.

But the point of all of this is that I woke up this morning thinking of that picture of Jesus that I drew on the cross. Not because I drew his hand upside down, but because He is the greatest Love I have ever known. And the greatest Love story that has ever been told is that there was this man who was 100% God and yet came to earth and became 100% man. Because man needed a savior. He loved people so much that endured dying on a cross for them. And by doing this he offered himself as the ultimate Valentine for all of eternity to ask the world, "I give myself for you. I am yours. Will you be mine?" 

And I know that sounds groaningly cliche but go back up and look at the sketch. Even as a high schooler, I know that the cross meant "I love you". Please hear me: He is the greatest love you will ever know.

I woke up wanting the world to know this. Wishing women weren't watching 50 shades but they were resting in the knowledge that Jesus' love was pure and holy and strong and had made the ultimate sacrifice for them. I woke up wanting hurting children to know the love of the heavenly Father that stops what he's doing and says "let the little children come to me" and that his kindness brings them to repentance. I woke up wanting all those who are shamed and rejected and cast out because of their life choices to know that the God of the universe loves them and wants to speak to them and wants them to come home. I woke up with a heart full of love for the world and seemingly no where to put it. And He whispered in my spirit,  Just write it down.

So, I'm writing it down. Because it doesn't matter that I don't have a readership, platform or millions of twitter followers. It doens't matter if I'm slightly misplaced, mispelled or overly _______( fill in the blank) ....I am confident in His Word as it goes out, will accomplish its work. And what is its work? He wants all people to know him (1 Tim 2:4). He wants people to know that they are loved by him. 

So as cliche as this may be...

Happy Valentine's Day. Jesus really does love you. 

With a heart FULL of ove,
Meg

No comments: