Expression

EXPRESSION

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

1 John 4:11-12

We did ministry in a hospital today, I can try to paint a picture for you, but I feel I will fail miserably. Please take the picture of a hospital out of your mind. Picture more like one room full of iron cribs, kids of all ages … some on their deathbeds some with just a cold.

When you recognize Jesus your immediate reaction is to send word to others, bringing Jesus to them.I recognized Him in the burning feverish little hands, in the thin smiles. I heard Him saying, “Let the children come to me!” and I knew He was right there in the hospital … through His goodness allowing me to be the actions and reality of the love of Jesus.

I came up to a mother who was holding her baby and something was obviously dreadfully wrong. The baby was stretched out, stiff as a board. Her body was swollen from needle pricks and bubbles foamed around her mouth. The baby moaned and shook and the mother tenderly pressed the stiff form against her own tired body. I sat down next to the distraught woman. She told me that she had been there for over a month, even sleeping on the hard floor next to her baby. I looked at her and said, “How are you feeling?” Those four simple words broke down the walls and the emotion stirred on her face.

The LORD expressed His love to her through me. He told her He hadn't forgotten her, He told her she didn't  have enough strength for her baby … but He did … He had MORE than enough.  He was there, He was hugging her and holding her and speaking against the lies, fears, and doubts the enemy had been trying to plant in her soul.He led her to Himself, the Rock that was higher than the sea of difficulties that threatened to beat her down. He reassured her again and again that He not only saw her where she was, but He was there and had never once walked away. He knew her pain better than she did and He loved her baby more than she could ever hope to.

Let me tell you, it is so hard to be the expression to Christ to a hurting world and people in circumstances that I don't understand. There is always emotion behind the expression. When He moves in compassion through you it hurts ... it is rewarding ... but it still hurts. I had only a glimpse of the fierce expression of His love for people and it completely overwhelmed me.

God is fiercely in love with you and watches over you as fervently as a desperate mother over a helpless child. He is warring for your soul as a warrior wars for his loved ones. He is expressing His love in even the smallest details and He is right here, RIGHT NOW.

**Photos by Ashley Bridges