The Love That Would Not Let Me Go

“I am recording this so that future generations will also praise the Lord for all that He has done. And a people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.” Psalm 102:18 Upon looking back and reflecting on the journey, it became very clear that although many things in life were subject to change, there was the continuous, unchangeable presence and guiding force of the Holy Spirit. He loved me and reached out to me before I even knew Him. He used many people and events over the years to draw me to Himself, molding me and making me in the process. Sometimes He affirmed and comforted me, but there were other times when He gently (or not so gently) corrected me as a loving father does for a much loved child. Sometimes there was joy in the process. Sometimes there were tears in what I’ve learned to call growing pains, but even they were part of His plan and worked for my good. I am convinced that there were some experiences that defy any explanation - other than only God could have done them. In those mystery moments of time and life, God’s fingerprints were all over them. Those are some of the most exciting memories to remember and share. They are all the proof I need that we have a living God who knows us personally, loves and cares for us, and can provide all that we need. In the weaving of my life’s tapestry, His was the ongoing thread that tied it all together. Like a master craftsman creates a beautiful tapestry from many different colored threads, God used some light and refreshing experiences to offset the darker, heavier ones. In the day to day process, we don’t always see how seemingly unrelated experiences are part of a broader, divine plan. We aren’t always able to understand at the time we are going through them what He is creating in us. But then, our vision is limited. We only see life as the tangled maize of threads on the under side of the fabric, whereas God sees it from above - the finished work. He knows the end from the beginning of His master design and plan for each of us. The “Hound of Heaven” began His pursuit in my earliest years and has never ceased. To tell my story is really to share how God loved, sought, saved, indwelled, developed, and worked through one of His children. It’s His story in me, as much as mine. The two stories are so intertwined as to be inseparable for me. For all of eternity, I will be forever grateful for - “The Love That Would Not Let Me Go” And to God be the glory!