Love is a many splendored thing!

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

February 5, 2015
Wednesday

Dear God,

I am having such a grand time looking up old songs that I have loved over the years. Computers are such wonderful tools for bloggers. I can get as creative as I want to as well as look up information, store photos, and on and on.

God, you gave us hearts and the passion to love and be loved. Love is a good thing! In the beginning, man was lonely and You created a helper for him...

"The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper suitable for him.'"

~Genesis 2:18

It was then that romance began. I'll bet Adam was feeling pretty excited when he saw woman created just for him. Holy cow, I'll bet there were some sparks flying and some hugging going on! Case #1 of love at first sight!! It makes me realize what a gift it is to love someone and for them to love you back!!

One of my favorite things to do as a little girl was to play house with my dolls. They all had names and had wonderful lives. In fact, there were times when my imagination would get the best of me and I would actually think they could feel like real people. I loved my doll babies! Maybe that's why therapists use doll therapy for children who have experienced trauma. I laugh remembering because I was still playing with my dolls when I went on my first date.

A couple years ago, I was visiting my son and his family during the neighborhood garage sale. My youngest grandson and I decided to take a walk and check out what was available. We got to talking about what he would like I buy with the $5 I had given him. He said, "Grandma, I don't know why but I just love stuffed animals. They are so cuddly and I can talk to them." It wasn't long and he found a wonderful (big) bear that caught his fancy. All the way home, he was lost in conversation with his new friend. What a precious moment in time we shared. He opened up about his own loves and I could bask in the sunshine of his beautiful heart.

Love is BIG ... it is magnificent ... it is more than I can comprehend. It is unpredictable and all encompassing. Throughout the Old Testament You talked about the Messiah, your son. I still cannot wrap my arms around how You could love us sinners so much that You would sent your child to die on a cross. We're not talking about dolls or stuffed animals, I'm talking about your own flesh and blood!

Colossians 3:14 (CEV) says: "Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together." I stopped writing and meditated on that scripture verse a long while this morning. Love does tie everything together. I can really be angry about something someone did or didn't do; however, love is a constant that brings me back into the relationship without having to hurt them back or reject them. One of the things that makes me sad is when people withdraw love because someone didn't act the way they thought they should. I'm glad You don't do that my God. You are my fuzzy blanket that keeps my heart warm!!

Yesterday, I had an appointment with my local doctor to get a flu shot and talk with him about my sore shoulder and numbness in my right hand. He asked me why my eyes were sad and we began to talk about Zeke's death, Finn's death, and everything else that has been weighing on my shoulders for quite some time. It felt good to let it all out and have him understand. My independent strong self was buckling under the continual barrage of stressors and I am suffering from situational depression and burn out. What I do for many others, I couldn't do for myself  and my body was telling me to STOP and regroup. My neck and shoulder muscles were spasming creating havoc. Anyway, his compassion helped me understand that I didn't have to walk my path alone ... either I changed some things or my body would change them for me. Yikes! I needed to feed me some LOVE! I needed to grab hold of your hand, Jehovah Rapha, and allow your spirit to fill me.

As we go through life, we all have experiences that stretch the limits of our normal ability to cope and continue our daily routines. And, Lord, I want to pray for those who, like me, are going through a season of dealing with trauma ~ a major disaster, surviving an accident, experiencing a major illness, divorce, death of someone or even a pet that you are close to, lose of a job and the stress of finding another, financial woes, an empty love bank, loneliness, and even the feeling that You God, have abandoned them. Jehovah Rapha, I pray that you would lift the feeling of listlessness, hopelessness, sleeping difficulties, sadness, bouts of crying, anxiety, worry, loss of concentration, withdrawal from leisure activities, and even withdrawal from friends and family. A couple Sundays ago in church, we prayed for a young lady with suicidal thoughts. Be with her, helping her to understand the meaning of love coming from You and fellow believers. Amen, dear Jesus, it is so! I rest in You.

"For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God..."

~2 Timothy 1:6-8

Miss Dottie

NOTE TO READERS: I pray before writing a blog and pray again afterwards asking the Lord God to use my words to glorify Him as well as touch others. Love is so important and I encourage you not to withhold love from those to whom it is due. (Proverbs 3:27) Many studies have been conducted about the importance of human touch and love ... With love we flourish and grow, without it, we wither and die. I was talking with my mother before she passed and she said one of the hardest things about being a widow was that absence of human touch. She had rheumatoid arthritis and I was rubbing her back with lotion ... oh to be able to do that today!! Is there someone who could benefit from your touch ... your love? Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today!