Sonrise Magazine

“River of God’s love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness of sins” colored pencils by Raisa Estrada

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.  Colossians 3;12-14 (MSG)

At age six, I experienced the love of the Father when I invited Jesus into my life. I developed a personal, intimate love for Jesus, but an unhealthy fear of God throughout my Christian journey overshadowed my love for him. Our denominational standards dictated an extensive list of can’t do’s and must-do’s, with non-compliance sternly addressed by leadership, so I became convinced God was a tyrant just waiting to catch me sinning and then only too anxious to punish me.

Much later in life, the pastors of my church at that time invited a team from Canada, renowned for their teaching on the love of the Father, to hold a weekend seminar on that subject. During a workshop, I felt the embracing love of the Father for the first time. The warmth of his countenance washed over me. I felt like I was floating in a pool of grace and mercy, assured that the river of forgiveness never stops flowing. As I more clearly grasped the nature of God’s love, God visited me several times to answer my questions, “God, what’s it like to love as you did through the sacrificial gift of your Son? How do I love compassionately and unconditionally as Jesus did?”

He answered through the following experiences. 

Love–Without Condition. One Christmas morning before church, as I pondered God’s unconditional love demonstrated through the sacrifice of his Son, I felt him invite me to “hold the baby.” I sat down for a few moments on the rocking chair in the nursery of our house. With each creak of the old rocker, memories of lullabies and moments of comfort for my infant children surfaced. I closed my eyes and positioned myself within the stable that first Christmas day. Emotion inundated me as I reached down, picked up, and rocked baby Jesus. I felt the magnitude of the sacrifice of a personal God who sent the epitome of his love through his Son. 

Shortly after that, before taking communion at church one Sunday morning, I asked, “Jesus, show me how to love as you do.” I closed my eyes and imagined myself entering a beautiful park setting where Jesus sat on a bench, and I felt led to wash his feet. For those who haven’t experienced this extended part of communion, the church community I grew up in included the foot-washing element. Communion was an afternoon-long occurrence twice a year, so there was ample time to participate in and experience the servanthood of washing the feet of others. In John 13, we read the story where Jesus washed the disciples’ feet in the upper room. Jesus washed their feet not just because they were dusty; he was enacting the job most held by the lowliest of servants. His gesture deeply impacted the disciples, who knew they should wash Jesus’s feet. But Jesus came “….not to be served but to serve…” Matthew 20:28 (KJV). Relative to us, his gesture modeled the message that unconditional love originates from a humble heart desiring to serve others.  

In my mind’s eye as I knelt before Jesus, I was humbled to wash the feet of my Lord and Savior. Not even his disciples did that! So, I washed his feet with my eyes closed, savoring the moment. After opening my eyes, I was startled to see not Jesus’s smiling face, but instead, I was looking at the tear-stained face of a homeless man sitting in his place. And then I heard Jesus lovingly say, “This is unconditional love—unto the least of these.” Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40 MSG)

Compassionate Love–Me Lord, Really? During the late 60s, I was tackling college and working full-time in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles, California. I went to church in Hollywood, an hour away, by bus. As classes and workload intensified, I purposed finding a church closer to home. I enticed my sister/roommate to visit and evaluate a church with me two blocks from our apartment. The day we visited, a handsome young man presenting as enticingly suave in a suit and tie was ushering. My work and school schedules had dictated placing my dating life on hold, but as I gaped at that young man, I felt smothered with endearment! My sister looked pallid as I leaned over and said, “I could marry that guy!” My friends couldn’t believe it: love at first sight for the calculative, sane one of the gadabouts. A sweet relationship progressed, and soon, my college-poor boyfriend gave up his first love—his motorcycle—as he placed the proceeds of its sale, now in the form of an engagement ring, on my finger. Love evolved to marriage a year later in the church where we met. 

Forty-eight years later, my husband suffered a physically limiting stroke. We had the opportunity to test the compassion-driven, in sickness clause of our wedding vows as the intensity of his stroke overpowered us. My first response to God was, “I know you’re aware of what’s going on, God, but may I remind you the job of Caregiver is not on my to-do list before I die!” However, embraced by the love of God and blessed by an extraordinary journey, this new call on my life awakened me to cherish the moments. There is nothing worthier of your calling than the joy that comes from compassionately serving the love of your life. Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)

Sacrificial Love–For a Friend. During my childhood, our home had three hard and fast rules. A TV set was not allowed while a school-aged child lived at home; Mom would work outside the home only when the last child graduated from high school, and smoking was not an option in our house. The first two rules remained hard and fast. The kids gave my folks their first TV several years after the last child left home. Mom entered the workplace at 52 when my youngest brother attended college. But there became an exception to the third rule. Mom laid the no smoking rule aside when she witnessed to her brother and a new friend, Shirley. Both had been chain smokers since their teenage years, and Mom refused to send them out in the cold to light up in the middle of winter or during a serious conversation.  

Mom led her friend, Shirley, to Jesus. Shirley knew little about Christianity as a new babe in Christ in her late 40s, and after accepting Christ, she became a sponge for discipleship. However, neither of the two small community churches would consider Shirley for membership because of her smoking addiction, even though she yearned for deliverance. So, Mom was Shirley’s pastor; our safe home was her church. Shirley lived across the river from us, and every Tuesday night, she would come to our house for Bible study with Mom. She often arrived feeling dejected and discouraged due to a less-than-desirable and challenging home life, but found unconditional love, acceptance, and peace around our kitchen table.

Through Mom’s friendship with Shirley, I experienced what Jesus meant when He referred to sacrificing your life for a friend. Shortly after they had gone to bed one evening, my folks answered a frantic call from Shirley; she had been violently attacked and was crying for help as she was suffering life-threatening wounds. Emergency 911 assistance was not available in this remote rural area, so medical and police response during late evening hours were not readily accessible. But, without hesitation, my folks drove to help Shirley. As several others arrived on the scene, the group formed a circle in front of her house, praying for protection and that Shirley would live as others tended to her life-threatening physical needs. By the grace of God, Shirley survived.

I felt God ask, “What will you sacrifice for a friend I have placed under your spiritual care? Or any friend in need?” How beautifully God painted for us the picture of sacrificial love through His Son’s death, resurrection, and ascension so we might live. Does this mean God plans for us all to die for someone? No, but how much of ourselves are we willing to lay aside for a friend.  No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. John 15:13 (AMP)

Invitation

The circle of eternal love, constant from creation through eternity.

A foreboding cross displaying royalty so fallen man could be set free.

King Jesus raised to ascend on high, Holy Spirit released to fill and arouse.

So, all could choose everlasting life, forever loved in the father’s house. (Joyce Olsen)