You have given life to me - Day 2

"I will serve You, because I love You
You have given life to me
I was nothing, until You found me
You have given life to me

Heartaches, broken people,
Ruined lives are why you died on Calvary
Your touch is what I long for
You have given life to me."

On my wedding day I chose to remember by dear and recently departed father by playing the instrumental rendition of this song as part of a list of music that was playing as guests filled the church in anticipation of our wedding ceremony to begin. I remember hearing it as I stood in the corridors, dressed in white, not visible to anyone but my wedding party, waiting to hear our cues to come full center and through the church doors and down the aisle. I could hear my dad, guitar in his hand, strumming this song out with tears in his eyes and a smile on his mouth, thankful for what Christ had done for him... choked up as he sang that first verse...

"I will serve you, because I love you..."

As a young adult, in my walk with Christ, I often focused on the things I could not do, the "fun" I could not have, and saying "no" to sin. My father taught me, it's not saying "no" to sin that should be your focus, but rather saying "yes" to God and that will enable you and empower you to say "no" to sin. He taught me that it is because "we love Him" that we serve him, not a ritual, or a religious act, or a bunch of rules to be good ... it's our love for Him that will keep us on the right path and journey with Him. I can remember him saying, "Candace, it has to be because we love Him." What an appropriate message to hear on my wedding day, isn't it? Ultimately, it will not be societal expectations or my ideals of what marriage should be, or the rules that are set before me as a wife, it will be my love for God and my husband that will motivate me through good times and bad to be committed to our life together.  I pray regularly for God to help me to love my husband more and more, and to respect him, because I love him.

"Heartaches, broken people, ruined lives are why you died on Calvary."

This verse touches me every time I get to it and Holy Spirit reminds me of not only my own brokeness but also of the brokeness of people around me. It reminds me to love people through their brokeness, to extend grace to them, no matter how dysfunctional they may be, this is why He died on Calvary, for those who have hurt me, for those who proclaim they are Christians- but are still a mess, for those who reject His name, for those who hate God, for those who are lost in pain and sin - this is why He died on Calvary, for people like me. So that Holy Spirit could come in and break every chain, break every generational curse and restore freedom and life before our very eyes.

My prayer today: Lord help me to have the right motives in serving you. Help me to love you first with all my heart, mind, and soul and help me to love the folks around me, who are broken and hurting and struggling. Help me to see them through your eyes, to extend grace to them and your gospel of love and peace to their thirsty souls.