Guest Post: Dana Lange :: Fruit of Love

 

I invited guests to reflect on the fruit of being planted in Christ. I pray you are ministered by their journey and ponderings of faith.

Dana Lange
Divine Stillness
www.divinestillness.blogspot.com

Anyone that encounters Dana sees a woman of unwavering faith with a desire to grow deeper in her relationship with Jesus, to love the way He does. I am blessed by her commitment to speak God's truth in love and her desire to step out in faith, knowing God will be faithful. The gift of creativity and encouragement shines in her writing. I am blessed to call her one of my dearest friends and share this space with her.

To learn more about Dana, visit www.divinestillness.blogspot.com. To read the journey of her and her husband as he walked the road of stage 4 blood cancer, visit www.gdsoldr.blogspot.com. Their story is one of victory, healing and abounding grace.

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MORE LOVE

Love is all over the place.

Advertised on t-shirts and school notebooks, trendy wall art, and silk screened sweatpants. Colorfully inked on greeting cards and tattoos, penned in a plethora of magazines and on high top tennis shoes.  I own more than a few things with this world-renowned word, yet, I am beginning to realize just how little I know of True Love. Too often exploited, underrated and confused, the word "love" comes in allshapes and styles, designs "Just for you".

I've always craved more love in my life,-- who doesn't?-- so I saturated my environment with an air freshener called LOVE.

Love notes,
Love songs, 
Love plaques,
Love stories,
Love emblems,
and the Love list goes on... 

More than ever, I am beginning to see, through many surface attempts, to grasp True Love, I must know the love of God. I must know Jesus. I've begun a journey into the deep layers of this mysterious love, basking in His affectionate Scriptures, praying and waiting to discover God's invaluable treasure. As I ponder Love's descriptive list, the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23*, I immediately recognize the Spirit's sweetness of godly tenderness to be one of my greatest lack in terms of Love's collection of righteous attributes.

So, I began to ask God for more gentleness.

I was a very sensitive little girl. I am a sensitive grown woman. In this, I have always longed to be loved with T.L.C. (Tender Loving Care). As a child, I was loved with care. Fresh home-cooked meals where grace were said, family gatherings and laughter, clean sheets on beds. Thankfully yes, I was cared for, my needs sacrificially met. But, something was missing, something replaced. During hard times -- more than my share -- I was loved with a different T.L.C. (Tough Loving Care).

Hardened hearts 

Speaking love, 
Showing love, 
Demanding love,
Withholding love.

My own sensitive heart learned to love like this too.

I've used this word "love" uncountable times without right understanding- my ignorant approach.
I've shown love with motive selfishly my own, I shamefully admit. 
I've also demanded it, receiving at best, temporary enchantment, left empty, scorned.
I've used it as reward and even withheld it as to punish.

For far too long, I've tried to love others and myself with this kind of love. 

Striving good works  
Self-worth seeking deeds,
Shallow words of empty promises, constraining heart strings.
Dried up by my own unmet expectations. Left alone by those of others.

One day long ago, when I first heard that God loved me, I decided to love Him too. His Book of promises filled me with hope and purpose. Sadly, I've lived most of my life believing God's love to be that of mine.

I read His "Tender" as "Tough", conditional and slightly contrived.

I'm beginning to see a different way -- the only way to love. I must lay down my love to Jesus, and let Him fill my cup. The truth is, His love is like no other. It can't just be planted in my head, depicted on the big screen or acted out, like Shakespeare said. It must be received from the Master Gardener, the tender of my soul, planted deeply and watered often by the drenching of His Word.

I no longer pray for more gentleness. I simply pray for more love.

More truth in love.
More grace in love.
More abiding in love.

More Jesus.

For Love's sweet taste of gentleness is found only on the vine,
watered, 
pruned,  
ripened through it's abounding source, True Love Divine.

Those who abide not in Jesus Christ, but in the world and it's manufactured ways, may flourish for awhile in outward projection and religious displays; yet, eventually come to nothing, but an artificial production of this holy affection, whose Name beholds abundant life, the Author, Love's Perfection.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me." John 15:1-2

*But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

PLANTED is a 4-week Bible Study. This is Week 1 :: Sowing Seeds. View an overview of weekly lessons or subscribe now to receive posts via email or rss feeder.

Comments

[Heidi Woodruff]

When we are abiding in Christ our fruit will be evident. It's no coincidence that the word LOVE is listed first in the fruits. I think it shows the importance of love. Just like when you look at the back of a food package, for the ingredients, they are listed in order of how much of each ingredient is IN the food. In MY "package", my life, I also want "love" as my first ingredient!
In Christ, Heidi

[Melissa Brotherton]

I once heard a pastor say that his only regret was not teaching more about the love of God. It's the one thing we can not over emphasize or understand enough. It is bigger than we imagine, stronger than we think and FREELY ours. I have spent plenty of years trying to earn it, thinking I'd ended up outside of it and betting that I'd broken it.

Thank you for sharing your love journey here! It was so encouraging. :)

[Dana]

Hi Melissa,
Today, I heard this, " we are not called to define God, we are called to BEHOLD Him." WOW! Our only need is to reflect what is already around and within us. We are our worst distractions. Thank you, dear friend, for holding my hand as we look up, in awe, beholding His Majesty - the True Love. Dana

[Dana]

Heidi, I like your analogy! LOVE- the all encompassing, unfathomable, immeasurable ingredient of JESUS His love is all things-- all forgiveness, all mercy, all correction, all compassion, all indescribable! Thank you for your heart. Dana

[Eve]

Dana, I am blessed to call you my friend. I watched you as you walked through the storm this past year. I had the honor of praying for you, Rick & the girls. I have watched a miracle happen right before my eyes. Not just Ricks healing but the LORD taking HIS delicate flower called Dana & making her bloom when no sun was shining. He gave you a sweet scent when everything around you & your family stunk, He made someone who was pretty into HIS beautiful precious treasure. What you wrote touches me - thanks for sharing.

[Dana]

Eve, you are a precious gift to my heart. Father has surely blessed us with grace upon grace! It's all for Him.