CALLED IN LOVE

Looking back in your pre- conversion days, have you ever really had a dislike for a person so much, and you were not very nice to them? Then for some reason you got to know that person, and you came to have a genuine love for them? You were so sorry for how you treated them, they things you said about them, and you had to make it right with them. You didn't have peace until it was all right. Then you came to love them, and didn't want to do anything to make them unhappy, you did things pleasing to them, special things for them.

That is how it is with our Father. We didn't obey Him, we mistreated Him in a way. Then there was a time we came to really know Him, and we were so sorry for what we had done to Him, or not done for Him. We fell in love with Him, and we just had to make it right with Him. We wanted so much to be His child, and we lived our life accordingly. As years went on He talked with us, explained things to us, and we formed a tight relationship with Him. A precious one that was more important than any thing else. We didn't love Him and want to be His child because He scared us half to death. He wanted us to love Him, and then fear to disobey Him.

I can remember back in 1956 or so reading the book of Rev. I read it under the covers at night, and it scared me. I just knew they were looking in the windows at me, and they could not see me under the covers! I didn't know it was all symbols. I thought they were real.

I can remember when I was young a Minister where my mom went to Church coming to the house, and he had all these drawings on a huge paper. All those heads, and horns on one animal! He had it down pat. My mom was big on talking on all that stuff. To a child it was just what I saw on that paper. One animal with to many things on it's head!

Then later in 1962 I started the correspondence course. After two lessons I stopped. Scared to death of what I read.

I was remembering over the last few days about the process of things when I was drawn to the Father. I can remember being drawn though wanting to prove someone wrong on something. The words being clear that I read. I saw things about a relationship of the Father and His children. Oh it was awesome, the beauty of belonging to Him. He gave me enough of His Spirit that I was filled with such a wonderful joy. I was in love, wonderfully in love.

I read to the wee hours of the morning devouring those words. I wanted to be His kid. In wanting to be His child I saw what displeased Him, and I was guilty of displeasing Him, and it hurt, it hurt so bad that I had did things that hurt Him because of my actions. I cried, and prayed, and cried over all the things I could think of to say I was sorry for, and it hurt me, that I hurt Him.

I found that the way to wipe it all out, and have as it were a clean slate was to be baptized. I wanted that so bad I could taste it. I knew without being forgiven, I could not have His Spirit, and I wanted that so much. It meant I was His kid lock, stock, and barrel, as they say in the south. I learned of His Son, what He did for me. And that hurt. It hurt because I loved Him, and He hurt because of what I did.

As I grew I learned of a hope, a hope like I had never had here on earth. It was grand, it was more than grand. A new body, to live with Him forever. Be loved by Him forever, not ever fall from that favor ever. Oh it was grand, more than grand. I read of a city, and what it looked like, and I wanted to be a part of it. I read of Is. 65, and I wanted to see it be. I was loved. I didn't have to understand Rev. I could understanding the warnings, and I wanted no part in doing those things. I didn't have to be afraid any more of Rev. as if I was His kid, He was going to take care of me when that time came. Love has no fear, and He took that fear from me.

So for years I have said we ought to love people into the kingdom. Bringing them into a relationship with the Father and His Son. Introducing a person to them, by showing them who they are, what they are. Bringing them to where they love them so much that they want to repent of the wrongs, not because you try to scare them to death.

Mary, remembering how great it is to be called by love to be the Fathers child.