The Best of Me
It’s Valentines season!! For my family, this is a time of hand-made cards and an overload of mini reese’s butter cups! But as I started thinking about what I can give the loves in my life, I feel that the Holy Spirit reinforced the thought of giving them the best wife and mommy ever…in addition to the chocolate of course!My question to Him was, “how do I do that?” A simple, yet profound response brought me to tears. He said “Believe what I’ve said about you. Believe that I love you and that I will take care of you.” The truth of my life isthat I’ve lived as a people-pleaser for most of it. Even though God has begun an incredible work in me through revelation of His love for me, I’ve idolized the acceptance of my parents, siblings, friends and my spouse.
An inward battle rages on as I question myself as a good wife. I struggle at times with the idea that I can be enough to raise these beautiful and innocent children that God has blessed us with. So in the light of the beautiful answer God gave me, I propose a challenge: In this season of love and gift giving, let us embrace God’s love for us. FULLY!
Let’s drop all the weight of others’ expectations, the hurt of past failures that scream how unworthy we are and the let’s be done with the definitions of ourselves that are outside of what God says. Let’s make Valentine’s Day cards for ourselves and our loved ones from the Lord that say “you are fearfully and wonderfully made” and “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” God has shown me in different ways and through different people that we love others the way we believe we are loved. We do not have it in ourselves to love perfectly, but through Him, we can know that there are no exceptions to His love for us and love others in the same way.
When we can accept God’s love fully, then we can love others fully. Can you imagine? Loving without offense, bitterness, or fear of being hurt? God loves us, taking all that we are (and are not) into consideration. He never draws back or turns His heart away. Seriously, I want to love this way. The longing of my heart is to give love like this. Imagine the security, confidence and freedom we can have in our relationships, both with our spouses and others when are completed in God’s love and never looking for anything else to complete us. So my prayer for a while has been for God to perfect His love in me.
For this Valentine’s Day, I am giving my husband the freedom to be himself; all of himself, without paying a price for the parts I don’t agree with. I am giving my children the acceptance they need to be exactly who they are without my imposed ideas because this is the way the Father loves me. Unapologetically.This Valentine’s Day, I am giving God a valentine. I am giving God my trust. Trust that His Word is true. Trust that He made me exactly the way He wants me to be.What are you going to give your Kings for this day of love? Whatever you give, give in love and truth.
Dominique Nealond
Lover of 2 Kings, Founder
Website: loverof2kings.com
Facebook: Lover of Two Kings
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