A Revelation of God’s Love

   Several years ago, my husband surprised me with the gift of a beautiful gold cross and chain.  Draped over the cross was a golden cloak or sash, perhaps symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I wore the necklace every day, but had trouble with the lightweight chain getting tangled up in something and breaking. Al had to take it in to a jewelry shop for repairs on a regular basis. 

   Usually I was aware when the chain had broken and would find the cross close at hand. Then one evening I happened to notice that my neck was bare. Where could it be this time? Tangled up in clothing again? It didn’t turn up after searching through my clothes and around the house. 

   We had just gotten home from a trip north where we spent the night in a hotel; so I called the front desk of the hotel and explained about the missing necklace. The clerk was very nice, taking time to check in the lost and found drawer; however, it wasn’t there.

   Eventually I replaced the lost necklace with Al’s mom’s silver cross and chain, a nice keepsake in memory of her. The previous one was completely forgotten… that is, until a few weeks ago when I was sitting out on the front lawn keeping an eye on our two dogs and praying for a friend  who had accidently dropped an envelope containing cash payment for a bill. She was devastated by the loss of the money.

    As I prayed for my friend to know just how much God loved her and for Him to help her find the envelope, a small object buried in the dirt near the toe of my shoe caught my eye. I reached down and dug it up with my fingernail. Still concentrating on the prayer, I suddenly realized that it was the little gold cross and chain! Amazing!

    How in the world did it get there? And why did the missing necklace turn up at that exact moment while praying for my friend to find her cash? I sat still pondering it all while turning the cross over and over in my hand.

    It was less than an inch long, maybe a quarter of an inch wide and very thin. But it represented Jesus’ immeasurable love for us, love that compelled Him to die so that we might be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.

   Suddenly her situation didn’t seem so hopeless and I was able to stop worrying about what might happen to her. His peace took over as I held tightly onto the necklace, called the dogs and headed around to the backyard.

    Well, the original cross with the cloak is back where it should be, around my neck. Only now it is hanging from a sturdier “rope” chain. The one which belonged to mom Char has been given to her youngest daughter, Annie. And my friend? Although the envelope never turned up, she received a small donation from a kind stranger and was able to make part of the payment.

    Dear Father, thank you for confirming your love to me over and over again in so many ways…for my cross being found, for helping my friend, for giving me peace when worries seem to overtake me. Please help us all to open our hearts to you that we might receive your love and that we might desire to love you more and more each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all of the saints (“people faithful to the Lord” NIV commentary), 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.” Ephesians 3:17b-19aNIV.