"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:30-31
Several years ago our family attended a church family retreat at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island in South Carolina. The priest leading the retreat gave us an assignment to go to any place in the camp and spend one hour alone with God. The location could be the beach, the woods, a trail, the conference center, hotel room, or just an interesting nook. I chose the woods, found a bluff, and settled in under a tree overlooking a ravine.
While I was sitting there, praying and enjoying my time with the Lord, two beagles appeared in the ravine. I must first explain my intense love of animals, especially dogs. It is an over-the-top, uncommon, out of control love. It consumes my mind. When I am at a house party, I can usually be found in the kitchen making friends with the family pet.
As it turns out, Camp St. Christopher had a beagle named Spot who roamed the camp. Spot had a puppy and they named her Dot. So there in the ravine, about 100 yards away, were the two beagles. I was so excited to see them! I stood up, called them by name, clapped my hands, and waved my arms to get their attention. They both stopped, paused, looked up at me, and then continued their sniffing - as beagles love to do. Neither of them ran to me so that I could lavish them with love and affection.
As I sat back down to continue my time with the Lord, it occurred to me that the Lord was showing me exactly how I often treat Him. He calls to me, I pause and say good morning, wave to Him, and then continue on with my to-do list or activities of the day. He longs for me to sit with Him and enjoy His company while He showers me with love.
God's love for us is an extravagant, lavish, bountiful, undeserved love. In the Bible, love is mentioned 551 times (NIV). God is very clear that we are to love Him and to love each other. He does not suggest that we love Him, or tell us it's a good idea if we love Him, or even say it will be helpful to our lives if we love Him. Rather, he commands us to love Him.
God want us to fall so in love with Him that we cannot wait to spend an hour in prayer with Him. He wants us to be with Him all day long, wherever we go and in whatever we are doing. My prayer for each of us is that we would fall deeply in love with the Lord and daily have a "Sweet Hour of Prayer" with Him.
God Bless You!
Patty
