TOTHEUNTAMEDHEART.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

—Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

“How funny my goal was twenty-four,” he said with a smirk, looking down into the faded yellow colander in the sink before him, overflowing with 53 mud-encrusted golf balls.

Having gone once before last autumn, we decided it’d be a beautiful evening to try again. So we loaded the baby into the car, & headed to the golf course, hoping to find golf balls in the weeds that others may have been unable to find during play or carelessly left behind because they have a bazillion dollars to go buy a new pack next time. Thank God for their wealth compensating for our monthly diaper supply.

So we went, & he said lets find twenty-four. We hadn’t even brought a bag or anything to carry them in, figuring there wouldn’t be more than could fit in his cargo pockets. Then we hit our first swampy jackpot. Then we lifted a jagger bush to uncover a golf ball graveyard, & my husband saw it was worth it, diving right in for the gold. Then we ran out of room to hold all the balls & had to call it quits an hour into it. 53 golf balls later.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.
In the little, insignificant things, a big God.
A God who loves us so much he longs to do more than we ask—
like multiply some golf balls, double my husband’s ‘goal’.

I think about this prayer in Ephesians & I see Jesus on His knees, pleading with us.
Try me! Try me! Taste for yourself! Let me show you my power! Let me show you my love! Let me give you a reason to spin in circles with joy. Let me give you a reason to sing. Let me give you a reason to glorify me.

Its like settling on the meanies. (age appropriate, I know)

But truly, I think its common, & it makes me wonder how many of us have truly allowed ourselves to see the Father’s love. Because to see the Father’s love in the most pure form, known as ‘agape’, I think we might have to drop our bags.

I’m not saying that His love isn’t there, because that is never a thing.

Have you thought about that?

His love is always. He is love. So when the Bible says that while we were still sinners, He loved us, that means everyone, including the people who are still not yet saved. Including the people who may never come to know Him.

God so loved the world.

Were you drunk last night? Did you cruise through your virginity years ago, men ago, & you still don’t have a ring on it? Are you a man in love with another man & you think he’s the one? Do you tell everyone you know how phony Christian’s are? Do you not believe in God? None of it matters.

Do you live in the world? That matters.

Again, I’ll tell you what I’m not saying, because I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. I’m not saying God loves the sinfulness we wear. He loves us. The core of who we are, despite whether the Westboro Baptists want to picket outside your funeral. God loves you even if Christians don’t.

So we settle for the meanies, because we all have them. We settle for the people who we’ve given a key into our heart & who don’t lock the door behind them.

We settle for the people who say cruel things behind our backs. For the ones who mock us. For the ones whose criticism is demolishing.

We settle & we don’t realize we are even doing so, all we know is how much their negativity fills our thoughts. How much they want us to dig our own hole of criticism & beat them to the punch with sarcasm. We let them consume us.

They are consuming us, & I imagine Jesus on His knees, pleading.
Try me. I’m a good friend. I can do immeasurably more than theses people. Give me their keys. Give me more room.