I Love You, Too!

Here I am coming off an Easter high...no wait, I am not coming off, I am continuing an Easter high with Jesus Christ and He continues to teach me. 

This season I have been extra aware of the sacrifice Jesus Christ has poured out on each of us.  I have been reading several books that have really captivated my attention toward God and reallocated my attentiveness.  He loved us so much he layed down His life for us.  Please, please do not let the commonality of this saying allow you to take it lightly.  He gave up His life.  For You.  For Me. For that person you struggle to get along with.  He died for us all.  Willingly.  I am an unworthy sinner...I can not even give 1 whole day to Him in it's entirety, yet, he DIED...for me.

Maybe you are thinking, OK, Kirsten.  I get the point.  I've heard it hundreds of times and I am thankful too. 

But, I just like to sit and relish in His love for me.  I am blessed with a family and many close friends who love me very well.  But, nothing compares to the love that Jesus Christ showed and continues to show each moment of my life. 

I was sitting here looking at some recipes and cleaning out my binder to make room for the new recipes (and take out the ones that were tried and not so appealing) and I decided to put in a Beth Moore devotional CD that I bought over the weekend.  I got to a message entitled Breaking Free.  I was listening half heartedly and semi attentively (of course leaving some attention to reading my recipes in the midst of the CD).  Then she mentioned a challenge to the listeners.  Beth asked that when ever we want to say "I love you, Lord" to in fact say, "I love you, too".  "When we are feeling like we want to express our love to Him, He has already showed us His love and we are reciprocating that thought back to Him. And, never, ever will you ever say I love you and He has not just said it to you.  He is the initiator of love.  He is the source of love. " The only reason I can love Him is because God is the initiator of Love and has loved me first!

Thank you, Beth Moore, for this reminder of great love and for the challenge to remember that He is the source and initiator of love. 

God, Please help me to be more reciprocal of this GREAT gift.  Help me to love you well.