His Love, Reflected
A dear, special & unique friend just called. We had a quick chat, our own moment of Gospel Sisterhood. As brief and scattered as the conversation was, by the time we hung up not only was my heart full, my happy-meter was peaked scale-high. I felt cozy yet vibrant, peaceful yet vital. It’s a unique feeling, but one not too uncommon in my life. It was familiar, and yet I hadn’t pegged it down. Unable to account for my own overabundance of warm fuzzy, I immediately turned to my most trusted counselor in matters of all things Naiah–my husband.
As I was animatedly relating the conversation to him, I heard myself call out “The Lord loves me!” That was it. Not only did I feel loved by her, I felt loved by Him. The love that we have, feel, and express toward one another is a reflection of that great, unconditional, beautiful and eternal Love that our Heavenly Father has for each of us. It is the same Love that Jesus expressed in His holy sacrifice. It is the same Love that the Holy Spirit whispers to each of us when we open our hearts to hear it. Yes, that was it!
With fresh realization resonating throughout my soul, I suddenly recognized that same Love in so many of my relationships, friendships, and connections. How did I never make the connection before? “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” We can not just choose to love. There is no way to just do it, such as we might just do our visiting teaching or our cannery assignment. Love is a feeling, and while we can act like we feel the feeling, to truly meet that commandment, we have to feel it. When we feel it, whether we mean to or not, we are acting on divine commandment, and those for whom we feel it will feel it, too, and in that feeling we feel a reflection of Him.
Wow. I am so blessed. I feel so loved.
June 13th, 2006 17:44
And that feeling is a gift, I think. Made richer when the Spirit (as a gift) carries it in our hearts and magnifies the love we might be able to feel because we are alive (regardless of whether we are in the covenant). I think that’s why gospel sisterhood is so powerful — because it’s love x the Spirit. I think it gives us glimpses of that pure love, charity, that is the Lord’s love. (That is why I think I was so energized on Friday after that lunch — because I felt loved by God through those women.) I’m probably just repeating what you just said, so I could just say, “I agree 100%!”
1 Nephi 11:22-23
And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
And, yes, Naiah, you ARE loved. A lot. Thanks for all the love you give as well!!! Knowing you is a gift.
June 14th, 2006 03:46
Naiah, I had a couple of those very special experiences with friends yesterday–one in person, and one on the phone–and you have beautifully expressed my feelings when you wrote, “The love that we have, feel, and express toward one another is a reflection of that great, unconditional, beautiful and eternal Love that our Heavenly Father has for each of us.”
And I think that although we may not be able to choose to “feel” love, we can perhaps choose to seek the spiritual gift (as Michelle put it) of being able to love more as God loves. Perhaps as we seek to understand both God other people better, and to see others more as God sees them, we are more likely to receive that gift of feeling love for them.
June 14th, 2006 08:05
This is a message I need to hear. I am often way to mechanical-pragmatic in my relationships with others. This does a disservice to both parties. I need to remind myself sometimes that I am not ‘Data’ or ‘Spock’.
June 15th, 2006 12:02
I wonder how closely this is tied to our use as tools in Heavenly Father’s hands. Is the love His children feel from Him limited in part to the love they show to eachother? Sobering, yet inspiring thoughts. Makes the commandment to love our neighbors much more tangible and urgent. Thanks for this reminder.