The past few weeks have been full. Full of traveling, great people, great food, great conversation, new faces, old faces, faces fading away, God’s provision in hard times and good times, etc. The past few weeks have been full. Today I finally found the time to really ‘get back on the horse’ with my standard workout regiment. Today was especially ‘rough,’ which I expected, because it had been almost three weeks since I had worked out. Moreover, I now begin the process of working out muscle kinks that come from couch surfing, airplane sleeping, late night Jesus talks when sleep seems unnecessary, and dancing in uncomfortable shoes at weddings. Each knot representing something beautiful in its inception, yet painful now.

Life seems to be full of things that start out as beautiful and end up clothed in pain. We see terrorist attacks all around the world on a daily basis. There are starving children in the world whose ‘good day’ consists of a bowl of rice. My bad day consists of far greater. We see lost and broken people walking down paths of destruction because they’re taught that happiness lies around the corner. “Drugs will set you free, alcohol will set you free, sex will set you free, this new relationship will set you free, getting your life on track will set you free.” In reality, nothing you can ever find on earth will set you free, because Love has already set you free.

The Love of God isn’t exclusive or elusive, but it’s deeper than the see and wider than the sky. Love made a way so that you can commune with your creator. This is not some crappy religious magic trick, or a piece of folklore written down in a book. This is a reality that I live into and witness every day. I see people’s lives change in miraculous ways all of a sudden because “Jesus spoke to me.” I see depressions lifted in impossible circumstances because “God’s grace swept over me.” I see people having dreams of Jesus telling them He has made a way for them. Dreams so vivid that they drive or walk miles to churches just to find out more. I see deep hurts get healed in moments when people lay their troubles down before God and accept His love and mercy. Friends, I have seen way too much to not believe.

I also believe that you have seen too. I believe that you’ve felt a little pull on your heart. I believe you have been spared from harm in some miraculous way. I believe that you have overcome impossible circumstances in a way so ‘coincidental’ that it makes you question, for a moment, the existence of something else, something greater. But you push it to the edge of your mind because it’s too much. Too much to even entertain. It would change everything. It would mean your life would look different and that everything would have to change. Let me challenge you to entertain those thoughts. Let me challenge you to follow where your heart strings are leading you. Let me challenge you to call out to the abyss and truly listen for a response. You see, the love of God is trying to reach you because He has so many amazing things to share with you. The Love of God already knows you, because Jesus carried your weight long ago. Don’t be afraid to listen to the whispers you push away. Will your life change? Most definitely. What will it be like? It will be a life rich with a complete love you’ve never felt before. It will be full of a joy that continues to well up inside you until it pours out to everyone around you. People will take notice, people will wonder why and how.

If you have cried out to Jesus and the church has told you that you don’t belong, I want to formally apologize. They don’t know what they’re talking about, because your place has already been set at the table. Whether you think you look the part or not, it doesn’t matter. Your part has already been carried. Your debt has already been paid. The greatest Love that anyone could ever know took your place in death so that you may live. I know it’s a crazy thing to entertain these types of thoughts. It’s crazy because it’s too good to be true. But friends, it is true. You have a creator who loves you and has amazing plans for you. Plans to use your passions and your skills in ways that will amaze you. He loves you and has made a way for your to commune with Him. Open yourself up to the one who holds your life in His loving grasp, and the adventure He will take you on will go beyond your wildest dreams.

I did, and I stand amazed to this day how real and present our God is.

He has made a way for you, and I challenge you to listen to His call.

P.S. The inspiration for this post today came from a song that came on while I was working out. Here is the link if anyone would like some encouragement. “His love is deep, HIs love is wide and it covers us. His love is fierce, His love is strong, it is furious.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkbdByx04yU