How do I begin to share a day not 3 hours old and filled with God’s love? I’ll begin at the end of that time which is the beginning point always which is God’s words to me in prayer together:

I am holding you. I am with you in this quiet time together rejoicing with all you are experiencing and learning that stretches you. You are growing into what it means to be with Me. My love piercing through the noise of the weeds. You are learning to hear My voice of love.

Continuing backwards: Scripture from The Chosen 40 Days With Jesus Book Three: Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30.

I’m going backward through this day of learning! That’s okay! In our Friday Morning Prayer group, we shared the weeds that spring up relentlessly in our own heads. Weeds of doubt, of insecurity, of inadequacy, of loneliness, of fear, of abandonment. And the good seed? God is love. You are a child of God and He loves you. God will never abandon you. God will never forsake you. You are safe in Him. You!

We listened to a short video by John Ortberg about 2nd thoughts that are so needed in each of us. 2nd thoughts meaning good thoughts that can counter the weeds that sprout up within our own thoughts that relentlessly drag us down….I am not good enough…I am always getting it wrong and screwing up everything…I’m supposed to be perfect and I’m such a failure…what will others think?…I am not loved…God doesn’t care…how can He possibly love me? Sound painfully familiar? Distorted thoughts – weeds. We can learn to recognize them. We can learn to discern negative, false thoughts and counter them with the truth. We are not perfect, we make mistakes, God has already forgiven us! Of Everything!

This Scripture from Jesus Calling: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9.

We are shielded by God’s power and held in His love for us and He is not bothered by the weeds that spring up incessantly. They do not define who we are. He knows that. We can be stretched and grow into that same truth. In His love we are free to live and make mistakes and be imperfect beings. Let Him love you. Let Him show you how much. Let His love pierce through the awful weeds and give you His peace in His love and rejoice in so great a love! And then, joy of joy…hear His voice. He’s here. For you.