Moment of Awakening
It was summertime and I was sitting on my mother-in-law's front porch while the family was carousing inside. Frequently the introvert, I curled up on the rattan couch for a quiet moment alone with my thoughts. At first, nothing out of the ordinary took place; just another day in South LA. Then, all of a sudden, as if I’d been overpowered by an enveloping warm hug, I felt an overwhelming sense of being loved and knew with certainty that Jesus did, and always would, lovingly care for me.
"Jesus loves me, this I know."
Children's Bible Song
Why should this surprise me? Years before, I had decided to devote my life to following Jesus so what was new and different? The difference was that years before, I had become a Christian largely to avoid hell. I was determined to obey Him, driven by fear. But on that happy day, it was God's love that touched my heart. It’s been love, not fear, that has bound me to Him ever since. Even though outwardly what I say and do to worship and please Him might appear the same to others, the shift in motivation that took place that day began my journey into the garden of a joy-filled life.
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever."
Psalm 16:11
That’s not to say that I’m in a constant state of bliss. I’m on a lifelong journey into deeper experiences of well-being. It means that joy is always as readily available as the remembrance of the reality that I am loved, loving, and lovable forever.
“You are loved loving, and lovable forever."
The Way of Mastery