Hi! Thanks for stopping by IAMLOVED
I am on a journey of discovering the magnitude of God’s love for me – His magnificent, overwhelming, never-ending, passionate love. I find it so amazing that the more I fall in love with Jesus, the more His love gets woven into every aspect of my life and ministry.
As 2013 was coming to a close, I found myself writing an email to my mom, who was out of town. I was in the middle of a LONG, frustrating season of life that was marked by closed doors, shattered dreams and a broken heart. Even though I was on staff at a wonderful church, with greater responsibility being given to me and my sphere of influence increasing, I was face to face with the fact that being a Pastor didn’t define me… who I was inside eventually would. Having been raised in a Godly family and having my own relationship with the Lord, I knew in my heart of hearts that one word from God could radically change my life, even if my life didn’t change. I typed the following words to my mom, “I just really need a word from God. I need to know that He is here and He is for me. I’m going to focus on this next month when our church does it’s annual week of prayer and fasting.”
The instant I finished writing, I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me, “Why wait until January? Why not ask me now?”
I have been walking with the Lord long enough to know that when you hear something like that, you listen! I immediately set my laptop aside and, looking up at the ceiling of my Living Room, I prayed “Okay Lord. Show me that You’re here. Show me that You care about me. Show me that You love me.”
What happened next cannot be adequately expressed in words. I experienced an open Heaven right there in my Living Room, and instantly I was overwhelmed with a magnitude of love that I didn’t know existed! In one moment, my life changed! I had known that God loved me… but now… I knew He loved me. I felt compassion, love, joy, pleasure, delight… all coming from my Heavenly Father directly into my heart. This God who I had followed and served from the time I was a little girl, suddenly became so much more real to me. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and took it all in.
I was speechless.
After what seemed like a few moments, I opened my eyes and I saw the Lord looking down at me. He was sitting with Jesus next to Him. There was so much love in His eyes! I kept saying out loud, with amazement, “God you LOVE me!” A huge smile came across His face as He nudged Jesus with His elbow and leaned in with anticipation, as if to say, “Take a look at my beautiful daughter Son. Isn’t she precious?”
What seemed like a matter of moments, had actually become a couple of hours, sitting, taking in the love that God was pouring out on me that day. Those hours have changed my life.
Over the next year, my outlook on life radically changed. Where there had been hopelessness, hope began to spring up. Where there was hurt and pain, healing started to wash over and cleanse my wounds. Insecurities that I had wrestled with were starting to fade away. Relationships began to be restored and, as my heart healed, life returned to the dead places in my soul. It was a journey, but one that was made possible with such a powerful knowledge of how my Heavenly Father felt about me. It motivated, inspired and encouraged me to make right decisions and to pursue Him like never before.
As I was awakened to this love, I started to see reminders of it everywhere! #iamloved was born when I started posting on Social Media pictures, Scriptures, thoughts… anything that the Lord was using to show me that He loves me. My prayer is that when people search that hashtag, they will see more than cute posts about what one’s boyfriend bought them, but thought-provoking, compelling posts that draw them to a love that perhaps they’ve never known before.
To this day, the revelation of God’s love for me deepens and blows me away on a daily basis. Everything I do, all that I am, is founded on the one truth that I am loved.
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)