This weekend saw many churches from around Bulawayo come together to worship Jesus in a service that was brand named 'Together for the City'. Small as our city is l think this event was huge for us. This was really a surprise event for me because l had been in Swaziland when it was being planned and by the time l came back to Bulawayo the event was already at its advanced stage of preparation. I don't think it would have impacted me the way it did if l had been part of the organizing team like l usually am. Don't get me wrong l am not saying organizing is a bad thing but l'm realizing that God deliberately left me out this time because he had a different plan in mind. l also think of the times that l always wanted to go and be with my parents in the UK but all the efforts l made turned out to be futile. Today l realize that God was not trying to traumatize me but He had a different plan in mind(and a much better one too!!). My fiance told me of a strange thing that occurred to her at some airport a while back before she met me and on the surface it looked like God had really been sloppy that time around but both me and her concur that He had a higher purpose.
Probably if God would have let me be a part of the organizing team l may have become too busy and end up missing out on what He wanted to say to me. Probably if God had given in to my wish to be in the UK l would have missed out on marrying the most beautiful woman in the world. Probably if God let humans have their way it would actually turn out a lot worse than we imagine....Settling for anything other than what He wants for you surely settling for something less than perfect.
Back to the combined service l was attending, as l sat in the pews and listened to the preacher speaking l learnt something.l already knew this truth but it came alive to me as l sat down and listened to a preacher called Michael Eaton say that the one unchangeable truth about someone who has accepted Jesus is that they are forgiven.....I am so redeemed that it is like l have never sinned before!I'm justified(just as if l have never sinned) and will continue to be the apple of his eye because He Loves Me. I think for me I sometimes treated salvation like its a parole......I behaved as if l'm saved on condition of good behavior and so when l have behaved badly and sinned again l need to go back to jail until my jailer is again satisfied with my behavior then l can be a redeemed son of God again. I realized that this is a wrong way of looking at Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Jesus has forgiven me of my sins and He actually has forgotten them(l may still remember the wrong that l once did but He has forgotten and He continues to graciously forget my sins when l come to Him and confess my sins)
The reality of me being totally forgiven hit me as l sat there and realized that l am loved by Jesus with a crazy kind of love!!!!He loves me so much that many times l underestimate how he loves me. It reminds me of a song that my fiance made us listen to when we drove to Nelspruit in June. The song simply says 'HE LOVES ME OH HOW HE LOVES ME'. More than just singing those words l want to begin to live them out. I want to begin to have the security of a child who's loved unconditionally by their Father. I have to treat every person that l see as with love because that which l have been given l will also give to others. I have to stop giving myself a hard time by trying to buy God's love using my good behavior because HE ALREADY LOVES ME!!The same way He loves me has to be the same way l love Zinty and all the children that He will graciously give to us as a couple.
Zinty once told me that when you see children playing together you can easily tell the ones that are loved by their parents and the ones that are neglected or even abused. Love has that effect that causes us to be free and unafraid to express ourselves. Love is what we have been given by our father in heaven and it really is what many other people out there in the world are thirsting for.......
If you give someone love you have given them what they need!!!
Jesus has shown that example to us in the most awesome way and all we need is to 'DO LIKE WISE' as the scripture says!!
