Today I got to sing “Love Lifted Me” just after hearing my husband preach about being born again. As we sang, both my husband and my son were standing in front of the full auditorium at the North Jackson church. watching for someone who might want to be born again, regenerated by the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. I knew that my little grand-daughter and a group of Christians from that church had passed out invitations to the community yesterday. I met some who were there who needed to know the Lord. I am prayerful that this week might impact lives for eternity.
As we sang, I looked down and my four-year-old grandson, Ellis, reached up to me and I took him in my arms. He sang with gusto in my left ear “…when nothing else could help, love lifted me.” I know he has no sin, but I trust one day the love will lift him, too.
In my heart, I thought, “I love that, in front of me are the two favorite preachers in my world, standing right there together, one singing bass and one, tenor. I love that I am flanked by my three grandchildren and my sweet daughter-in-law. But, most of all, I am thankful for the love that lifted me when nothing else could help; the love that completely saves.”
Sometimes, life is hard. There are encounters that I endure rather than enjoy; mornings when the darkness lifts out my window, but not in my heart. I’m sure it’s that way for most of us in the testing ground through which we walk on our way home. But if we have been cleansed from the deep stain within and if we are no longer sinking to rise no more, the reasons to rejoice far outweigh the despair.
I am currently editing the last chapters of our next Digging Deep study. I am praying hard that some soul(s) may come to know the love that lifts—that completely saves—as a result of the study that we will begin next September. Maybe there is someone who is studying along right now, as we enter the last trimester of our Conversations study, who, when being honest with self, knows that she has not been lifted by the Savior, cleansed from the deep stain of sin. I would so love to help you. I’m just an email or facebook message away. This month we will study the women who anointed the Savior. One of them, having been forgiven, broke her expensive alabaster box and wiped the feet of Jesus with her tears (Luke 7: 36ff). Do you have tears today because of sin? Do you have an alabaster box—something precious to you—that you could offer Him? He is waiting with a love that will lift!
Let’s talk about this together!
cindycolley@gmail.com.