The way love covers

We were having a dreadful sensory day. It all seemed too much for my little girl, on every possible level. My human tiredness proved to exaggerate the situation to a superlative degree. For lack of better wisdom, I sent my daughter outside, to go jump out her frustration on the trampoline. It gave me time to hang “Mount Laundria” on the washing line and to blow off some of my own steam. I was frequently gazing in her direction, just to observe if she was doing okay. I saw her 2-year-old brother mounting up the trampoline, slowly engaging with her.

At first, her body stature remained rigid; stiffened limbs, a grim countenance, almost like darkened clouds had made their way toward her mind. He began loving her. He gave her a sweet little kiss on the arm, then on her cheek, then on her forehead. Her little heart melted and the warmness of his affection and compassion chased away the gloom and darkness. Within minutes, they were holding hands, jumping in unison and giggling. Moments after that, a little girl with a changed countenance, skipped towards me, while I was still hanging up the remaining socks. She wrapped her little arms around me, and exclaimed: \”I\’m sorry, mama!\” At that moment, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a deep truth: love covers a multitude of sin. Her little brother\’s gentle love did something in her heart that my strictness could never accomplish. I truly treasure learning these types of lessons from our little ones.

At first, my little girl could not contain the storm raging within her. It was just too much to bear. She needed a hug. She needed a friend. It was that simple. One of the ways one\’s senses perceive comfort is through deep pressure. A firm hug can be a form of applying deep pressure. It is almost like it resets the sensory overload in some way. I have found a plain hug to be one of the best remedies for little turmoiled hearts. Don\’t we all need that same simple form of love when a storm rage within us? Just a hug. Just a friend. Just love. It is so straightforward. Bearing with one another in love. Bearing each other\’s burdens, in love. Being a friend in need. Showing Yeshua to those closest to us. Oh, what a friend we have in Yeshua?

Yah Himself is described as love. One of the greatest mysteries this earth was ever to behold, is Yah\’s character. Because He is love but also a consuming fire. He is gracious but also the righteous Judge. He is kind, merciful, slow to anger, yet He is also the One who fights for us. This knowledge is just breathtaking and mind-blowing. Who is this God that we serve, full of mercy and love?

I am always amazed at how His loving kindness draws us to Him when we stumble. It is within knowing His kindness and His patience towards us, that we repent. I find it strikingly relevant that love is firstly described as kind and patient, in 1 Corinthians 13. Romans 2 also states:

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience,

not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4 NASB1995

We cannot dilute the riches of His love. It is part of His character and His name. So, if we are made in His image, love is part of that which we should carry. I am aware of the fact that love has been defined by many, including the body of Messiah, to be something fluffy, something that we even see as sensual. It is defined as an intense feeling, and as we know, feelings are fleeting. Yet, Abba\’s definition for love is so vast and so deep, and so very different. I am suddenly reminded of a song we sang in preschool:

The love of Jesus is so wonderful.

It\’s so high, you can\’t get over it.

It\’s so low, you can\’t get under it.

It\’s so wide, you can\’t get around it.

Oh, wonderful Love.

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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.

Ephesians 3:16‭-‬19 NIV

By His love for us, even being yet sinners, He chose to give His only Son so that we should not perish. Wow, speaking of an extreme contrast! In Romans 8 we read that absolutely nothing that exists can ever separate us from the Love of God. His love was the great motivation for Messiah to dwell on this earth as a mere human being. And within that dwelling as Emmanuel, He gave His life willingly, because He loved us. His love was the motivation and is an invitation for us to become partakers of His kingdom. He longs for us to love in return, and gave us the most significant example of all time. Love became the signature of those who follow Him.

\”By this all will know that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.\”

John 13:35 NKJV

Love that covers

What is the intend

Of the word friend?

Is it to mend

The past

Or to tend

Things that\’ll last?

Is it to lay down one\’s life

To let go of strife?

Is it a means to survive?

Or encouragement to thrive?

Will a friend love deeper

And not be sin\’s record keeper?

Is it a place to confide,

A safe place to hide?

For such a Friend I sought

Whose love would be broad

Bought with this Friend\’s love

I would be

Endlessly free

From the debt set against me

From the burden

I could no more carry

Oh my dearest Friend,

You are heavenly send!

My Messiah and Friend

You are faithful to the end!

And so…

Let Love cover

Let it hover

Over you as His blanket of grace

Guiding you out of a darkened place

Placing your trust thoroughly

On the Beloved who can meet you fully

In every single season that might surround

Your being, and engage you

in every valley where you might be found

He is patient, He is kind

If you seek Him you will find

He does not envy

Nor does He boast

He will guide you along life\’s coast

In love, He does not dishonour

His hands form us as the Potter

He never acts in a rude way

He forgives and redeems those who go astray

He keeps no record of our repented wrongs

In His house is where we belong

In evil He never finds joy

But delights in truth

as it never returns void

He always protects

Always trusts

He always hopes

Always persevere

He never fails us

Yah

is

Love

Much more can be said on this topic of love. Love was the very reason for Yeshua\’s existence. It is the very reason for your existence. I have one last thought on this topic, that I want to share. One morning before reading time, I asked our children what they were thankful for. The two little ones gave materialistic answers, very typical to their age and quite adorable. Our oldest then said, \”I\’m grateful for love, mama.\” I replied: \”How so, sweetie?\” \”Without love, everyone would be angry, mama,\” she said. Isn\’t that so true? Out of the mouth of babes!

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1‭-‬2 NIV

May His love abound within the depths of our hearts. May His love be redefined to us, especially in areas where we have misdefined the concept of love. May the lies concerning love fade away and may His light illuminate the true meaning of love, the one He intended it to be before the foundation of this earth was laid.

In Him we live

And move

And have our being

Shalom

Carmen Tehillah

Ps. This song by John Lucas, has summed up so much of my own heart concerning love. I do hope that you find encouragement within it too.

Love is Kind

How come love was simpler when I could barely stand?

Worrying was harder when I had to hold Your hand

\’Cause my two feet hadn\’t yet learned how to walk

And my own voice hadn\’t yet come out to talk

But I knew love because I knew You

And I believed that everything You told me

Would come out true

\’Cause love is patient, and love is kind

Love delights in the truth and is all you need to find

But as I grew older I learned to complicate

Things You made so simple and I did some things I hate

And I became so afraid of making mistakes

\’Cause one hard fall is all that it takes

To make you question the man you thought you\’d be

And I began to question the bright things You see in me

But love is patient, and love is kind

Love doesn\’t keep a record of what\’s behind

And I\’ve heard my strength comes from Your joy

Maybe that\’s why I felt stronger when I was a boy

Maybe I grew up too fast, or maybe I never did

But I learned to bury and to chain

And from You I ran and hid

You know I want to finish strong

But I\’m having trouble at the start

And I\’ve forgotten where to dig

To unearth my beating heart

But love is patient, and love is kind

Love revives the heart and transforms the mind

And You say, son, throw Your delight on me

And You\’ll become the man You want to be

And My love will never fail you

And always remember

That love is kind

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