Heartstruck

Last night we had a wonderful Christmas celebration.  Good friends had come over to our place to enjoy a meal that my wife had been preparing all day.  The food was scrumptuous and the visiting was even better.

A little later in the evening some of our relatives dropped by, adding to the joyous occasion.  My brother-in-law was able to entertain his grandson for the first time in a long while and it was most obvious that he was giving all his attention to this little guy.  It took all of 3 seconds for my brother-in-law to scoop up his prized treasure in his arms and--straight to the chair where he proceeded to show 'home videos' on his cell phone of various adventures from previous family gatherings, and hi-jinx played out on jungle jims.  The joy on my brother-in-law's face was unadulterated and his antics with his grandson were obviously from a deep place inside him that was filled with love.

He was heartstruck.

It will probably be many years before my brother-in-law's grandson fully realizes how blessed he was last night, and all the other times that he receives that kind of over-the-top love.  But that doesn't matter to the granddad because he is free to offer his love for that very reason--love.  Love has it's own reasons for doing the things it does.  Where it exists, it flows.  It can't help it because that's its nature.  Even when the object of affection is oblivious to what's going on, the desire and expression of that love is as steady and true as ever.  And, as I said before, even though the recipient of that love is not fully aware of what is offered, the person who is loved is blessed.  And then one day the love that has been poured out in radical abundance, brings the loved-one to a place where the light goes on and his or heart comes alive to the amazing gift it has been given.  It is at this moment that joy explodes, both in the one who has been given to, and in the one who been doing all the giving.

That's just how love works--that's just how people who are heartstruck are.

Did you know that God is heartstruck too?  Did you know that His reactions to you are just the same as my brother-in-law's were toward his grandson?  When God sees you it takes him no time at all to scoop you up in his arms and his desire is to recount grand tales of adventures that you shared.  His joy for you is not diminished by the simple fact that you don't fully understand him.  Don't be shocked by the fact that we are no different than that little grandson sitting on grandpa's lap, not aware of the magnitude of love being lavished on him.  We are exactly the same--but that doesn't stop God's desire to love on you just the same.

Because that's how love works--it can't help it.

John 3:16 is usually talked about in terms of God's desire to save us from our sins, but the first line is sometimes overlooked in its importance.  It says that God loves us!  Do you hear that?  Do you know that?

I can't state this any more clearly:  God is heartstruck over you.  And though you might not know it yet--he is eagerly anticipating the day when you become aware of that love because he knows how filled with joy you will be.  But, until that day, he will not stop loving you. . . .

Because, that's just how love works.

BT