In His open arms…

It’s Friday morning and you wake up to start the last day of your work week. The entire week has been sheer stress after stress and you are over it. You are dreading this last work day because, as luck would have it, today is bound to be worse than the entire week. You accidentally hit the snooze button one too many times and now you are racing to the bathroom to hastily dress yourself. No time for breakfast at home so that means you have to eat the food at the job’s cafeteria… and drink their coffee. Grab your cell and your keys (just barely) and dash to the car so that you can speed to work.

Once at work, with your breakfast and coffee, you finally have a chance to breathe and look at your phone. As you look at your text messages, you see this message from the love of your life:

 Good morning, beautiful. You left in such a rush this morning that I didn’t get a chance to tell you just how much I love you. I know this week has been so hard but today is a new day and better is coming. Today may not be perfect but just know that I think you are perfect and beautiful just the way you are. Know that no matter what happens today, my love for you will never change. I love you more than life itself and my love will protect and cover you through your day. Hold tight to our love and let it consume you and guide your day. Love always, J.

That’s it; that is all you needed. You saw that [lengthy] text from your love and it’s as though time stopped, rewound itself, and your day started over. You feel a calm spirit of comfort rush all over you and now you know that you can make it through your day. As you bask in the joy of his text, you realize that you not only did not speak to him this morning before you left, but you also haven’t responded to his message. You pause for a second to text him seven simple words: I love you with my whole heart.

His words and your words combined to change the course of your entire day. You feel his love for you and it powers you to gain control of your day. The day had its issues, but because you held on to the words of J’s message, you were able to press through the day. It was hard, but that love covered you.

 But what if…

This story is more true than many of us would like to believe. What if I told you that J was short for Jesus, would the story apply to you then? Most days we (yes, even I slip up) wake up, so burdened by our yesterdays, that we have already lost hope for our today. We dwell so much on our problems that we forget to have that morning conversation with the love of our life, Jesus Christ.

But what if we stopped that vicious cycle? What if we woke up every morning and thanked Him for allowing us to wake up and invited Him to dwell within our day? How much more could we accomplish? How much greater would our day be? If we could just let go of yesterday and give Christ today, oh what joy we would experience!

Reflection…

When we rise every morning and allow Christ into our day, we are putting ourselves in His open arms and inviting Him to cover us throughout our day. Beloved, I promise you that there is no sweeter and safer place than in the arms of the Lord.

As you travel along this journey with Christ, we must make the choice to take up our crosses and walk with the Lord daily (Luke 9:23). Each day we must rise and give God praise, telling Him that we submit to Him and will follow Him for yet another day.

I don’t know about you but I love getting that sweet text message from my love every day. I thought I needed a man to send those words in order for me to feel loved but I have come to realize that as long as Christ loves me that way, then I am COMPLETE. I also thought I needed a man to envelope me in his arms in order for me to feel safe… but I also realized that true safety only happens in His open arms.

Beloved, if you want love, safety, and completion, I encourage you to seek Christ.

There is no safer place than in His arms.

There is no greater love than the love He has for us.

Beloved, please live and dwell in His open arms.

Be blessed.