You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

By Karen Friday

Love rode off into the sunset. People. Belief systems. Lofty imaginations. Endearing lines from a romance story.

Many times I, too, saddled up to run away. What was I afraid of?

As long as I can remember, I’ve questioned love. Was it intended for me? What substantiates the real thing? I wasn’t sure.

Since love was uncertain and on shaky ground, I formed a bubble around myself—a safety net to protect.

I enjoy bubbles. Be it the children’s class at church or a party, I cannot keep from retrieving the wand for effervescence of bubbli-ness (Is this a word? No matter, I like it).

But fragile circles of soapy liquid don’t float forever. They always meet their destiny—floor, furniture, blade of grass, tree, or human. Then burst. And so did mine.

I had bought and cherished the wrong view of love. The one that uses the affection in loose terms. Expressing sentiments for a herd of things from people to food, from possessions to sports teams.

It wasn’t just about other people or broken relationships in my family and with friends. I was troubled by my heart’s swaying in the wind of fickleness. Feelings can’t be trusted all the time—most of the time.

The world, and all that is in it, totters on a see-saw between having that loving feeling and losing that loving feeling. A dialog that goes something like this: “Yes. No. Yes. No. What? I don’t know. In fact, I have no idea.”

How do we find the real thing? Love that is certain? 

Several years ago, I read Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love. The root of love and loving others well comes from God. Chan expresses God’s loving and giving nature from John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that he gave….” 

Love was given and came in the form of Jesus. For me and for you. The book encourages readers to insert our name into the passage. Go ahead and do it now. For God so loved Karen that he gave his son. 

Powerful, right?

As I worked on this post, a friend was worried about her grandchild; “I just love this kid so deeply. I want nothing but good for her.”

My response, “The good you want for her … the love you have for her, quadruple that a billion times over and that’s what the Lord wants for her—has (present tense) for her.”

The Lord created us out of love. He spared us out of love. He sent His Son to take our place out of love. He lovingly provides His Spirit and presence in our lives.

God’s love is past, present, and future tense. 

God’s love letter to us, the Bible, explains the depth of love He has lavished on us. “Each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me” (Psalm 42:8 NLT).

This is different than when the waitress tops off your water. Not the same as giving a nourishing drink to your thirsty flowers. Completely unlike pouring yourself a glass of milk to go with fresh-baked cookies.

Those specific examples are all limited in their provision of pouring.

A Google definition of pour is “to flow rapidly in a steady stream.”

Imagine the Lord pouring His unfailing love over you in a rapid and steady stream.

Not only today but each day. Not any kind of love but His unfailing love.

There are kinds that fail. The human brand. The affection that attaches itself to an object. The love that rides away. The one that burst your bubble.

God’s love passes the test with an “A+.” God is the only one who doesn’t need extra credit in the love department.

That’s the kind of love I was looking for—the kind that pours over me. It’s long-lasting and keeps coming. Maybe you’re also looking for that kind of love.

Let’s finish out the words from John 3:16;

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (ESV).

The love of Christ can never be lost. It can only be found.

I’ve found that love. It’s not a feeling, it’s a person. His name is Jesus.

Have you found it? Found Him?

 

© 2015 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved