By Grace Davis | May 26, 2024.
I have never been given a love letter,
I have never experienced pursuit,
I have never considered myself to be sacrificially loved,
I have never been told I am more precious than jewels,
I have never been called “mine,”
I have never felt adored, nor have I found a good thing.
No notes have been passed, no promise, no ring.
And when I began to feel alone,
Stuck in spiraling patterns of grief,
Tears streamed from my eyes, and I suddenly began to weep.
My soul longed to feel radically warmed by an embrace,
Quite honestly, I felt incomplete.
And in that dark, hollow spot of striving to be seen,
I rolled over on my bed, picked up a book, and read.
This book contained things that told me just how beautiful and seen I might be.
The author told me that I am loved just as I am,
He said, “In me, you are complete.”
This book told me of a life laid down for broken and old me,
And suddenly, I realized my heart belonged to Thee.
He continued to share his attributes,
Slow to anger, abounding in love, and how faithful He will forever be.
His love is patient, His love is kind,
It is consistent and can do no wrong thing.
This book consumed me, and each day, I had the desire to read,
For the Lord was reminding me that He is steadfast and worthy,
Jesus is the man who indeed pursues me,
No waters can quench His love,
It is deeper than the ocean,
“May I delight in this companionship and take heart in the sharing of my burdens,”
For even after seeing my sinful heart, He continued to call me his own and show me His devotion.
One morning, I closed the book, took a deep breath,
and instantly,
tears flooded my eyes,
Suddenly, I realized this was it,
This was my radically warm embrace,
And here, in His presence, a promise to keep and to hold.
This is where I heard the word “mine” whispered from Holy lips,
This book was my love letter,
I forever belong to Him.
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
