Land of Love

I didn’t know what I was gonna get when I said yes to squad leading with the World Race for another six months. I didn’t know what I was gonna get when the Lord sent me with this squad to this country. I didn’t know what I was gonna get when the Lord sent me with this team to this city.

Here I’ve found myself in the heart of Kenya, a small city called Isiolo. I’ve found myself living in a rescue home with 13 beautiful girls saved from neglect, abuse, trafficking, and slavery. I’ve found myself with a mom who loves me as her own, a mother with the heart of my heavenly Father. I’ve found myself in a land of love. 

Here in this land of love, I’m surrounded by it. Overwhelmed by it. By Him. By Love.
Here in this land of love, I’m learning new ways to receive love so freely given.
He’s perfecting me in his love, casting out every fear because “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

We’re driven by one of two things – love or fear. And if God is love, we should fear not. But satan is the great deceiver. And he’s twisted our perception of love, instilling fear in us as we follow OUR OWN hearts – but the Bible doesn’t say follow your heart. Scriptures says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” When we choose to surrender our hearts and seek Him with all that we are (Proverbs 3:5-6), He creates in us a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).

Thank God. He’s creating in me a clean heart, showering me in His love. Uprooting a 22 year old tree with branches of fear from my years of performing to conform. All because I just wanted to be loved. We all just want to be loved. We were designed by Love and for love. Yet I lived fearing rejection and not being liked. Fearing judgment and punishment. Fearing the disappointment of those I’d never be able to please. I went looking for love in wrong places and the world loved me for it. But I wasn’t made for the world.
“If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” John 15:18-19

Here in Kenya, He’s gardening my heart, planting trees of Love to bear fruit, and pruning trees so that they would bear even more fruit (John 15). He’s teaching me that there’s not one part of my heart that He doesn’t want. And there’s not one part of His heart that He isn’t offering. He doesn’t give His heart in pieces, and His love will cover me if I let it. I didn’t choose Him, He chose me.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you.” John 15:16

He chose me long before I ever knew Him. That truth is sinking deeper here in Isiolo. I’m learning His ways as I surrender and seek Him with every part of my heart. I love Him more than anything. He loves me more.

FEAR GO, HOLY SPIRIT COME.