8. Surprise by Love – No 2

I appreciate the favorable response I received from last week’s, “Surprised by Love” essay. There is much more that should be written about my love epiphany – my confrontation by the love of God – my surprise. In this essay I will fill in some of the gaps in my testimony to this experience. But first, I hasten to say that no one should spend his life chasing experiences; “Cast your burdens upon the Lord.” “Draw near to the throne of God with boldness.” Don’t envy the experiences of others.

On the plane in our return trip from Florida to Indians, after I had discovered that God loves Lacy Williams, I started talking about my dad who had been dead for 15 years. I didn’t understand why he came to mind or why I felt such love for him. Dad and I were not very close. Although he was a fine Christian man, I don’t recall him ever telling me he loved me. Instead, I learned years later, that he told mother that I was his “strange son.” On the other hand, I don’t remember telling him that I loved him. I know we loved one another; we were just unable to express it. But at this moment I felt a deep affection for him and wanted very much to talk with him and to share what I was experiencing. (You don’t want to wait until its fifteen years too late to tell your father you love him, so do it now ! Do it while he is able to hear you. It will mean the world to him and give him an opening to express his love for you.)

After a while I remembered a verse from I John, “We love because He first loved us” (I John 4:19). I loved my father as I had never loved him before because, for the first time, I experienced God’s love for me! I know this statement to be true because, for the first time, I also felt a strange affection for everyone. I began expressing my feelings and showing my love for others in ways I had not done before. And I was rewarded with statements and gestures of affection that I wasn’t accustomed to receiving. We love our fathers, mothers, siblings, eve n our enemies, because God first loved us. What a surprise! What a life changing experience!

The following is humorous and full of joy. On Saturday when I was in the church building by myself, I started walking around the auditorium practicing my sermon aloud, as I often did. I related our trip, our blessings and the incident on the plane. When I came to the Book marker and the statement, “God loves Lacy Williams,” I was suddenly filled with joy. I laughed, I cried and I praised God for His grace and deliverance. This was the culmination of my epiphany, which I shared with my congregation the next day.

John Wesley said of his disciples who had experienced this sanctifying change, “Scarcely one third of them maintain their experience.” Of course we can’t be up on the mountain all the time, but we can remember that the God of the mountain is still God in the valley, the God of the good times is still God in the bad times, and the God of the day is still God in the night.” And we can always remember our mountain top experiences and thank God for them.

Finally, don’t be discouraged or intimidated by those who have had experiences that you haven’t had. You can’t know how much they have prayed or how long they have waited for God’s love to break through. If you don’t have an out of this world experience to relate, just tell others what the Lord has done for you. Rest in what you have and praise Him for it and He will give you more.

My Faith Has Found A Resting Place -- Words by Eliza Hewitt, music by Andre Gretry

My faith has found a resting place—
Not in device or creed:
I trust the ever living One—
His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves—
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him—
He’ll never cast me out.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.