Journal Entry- akal to love

This is a journal entry from this week that I feel led to post as a blog: Praying that it serves as an encouragement to someone today and also will help keep me accountable to following through with this calling in this season. 

 

Jesus.

love. intimacy. connection.

This last month, you’ve really challenged me to give these words a place in my new life here in India

9000 miles away from most everyone I’ve ever met and surrounded by 4 million new strangers I couldn’t help but ask “why now?”

Wouldn’t it have made more sense to dive into this when I was constantly around a huge community of people that knew me? Now, its just seems impossible. What does it even look like to love Hyderabadi people that I don’t know anything about? What does it look like to love differently the few people I do know well here, my team? Where is that line of acceptable love and how do I know when to not cross it? So many questions, but as they kept popping up I begin to realize that most of my rebuttal questions are based out of fear…fear of rejection….fear of the unknown.

Thank you for speaking into my heart this morning

“Drea, I can show you more about love through what you give than how you receive. In this season I want you to view love in a new way. Are you willing to not only love until it hurts but view that hurt as a starting block to love even more? I can tear down those barriers you’ve put up when it comes to intimacy, if you are willing to push past the pain and embrace the grace and beauty that is found in true love.”

So, as Valentines Day approaches and I have the time to reflect on what Kingdom Love looks like, this is my prayer…that I would

1. say Yes every day to love more deeply, everyone around me… so much that it hurts and then…even more!

2. be open to taking opportunities to love others around me, whatever that looks like even if it means putting myself in situations where I could potentially be embarrassed or rejected by the people I try to love well.

Here’s to pushing the boundaries of my comfort zones! You know how much I hate having my heart hurt, so this is literally only happening because you’ve asked me to do this haha.  Good thing I trust you.  Thank you for this peace in my heart and this opportunity to grow in my ability to understand love more fully. 

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18.