An Open Letter from God
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An Open Letter from God
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This writing was prepared for a
high school church service as a
"sermonette" in 1979 - I had just turned 18 and was about to complete
my senior year. This was a very intense writing, and as an introvert, it
was a challenge to deliver it in a very large sanctuary. In the same
service, A small group performed "You are
There" - the melody to my poem was prepared by a great friend - Elise
Johnson Chapline. The sermonette was based on I John 3:18-24... while some
points show my perceptions in youth (the run-on sentences haven't changed!),
there are many points that still ring true for me - and so I share this as it
was, unedited: How Do We Know? How do we know that God is with us? How do we know that we are with God? These questions occur in times of stress or in times of joy when we contemplate about our actual relationship with God. However, we can find the answer in simply turning to God and his word. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees as recorded in the 22nd chapter of Matthew: "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." So, next to loving God, the most important thing we can do is truly love others. However, loving goes beyond words, it is displayed in actions and in a sharing of the spirit. This is true because words can be retracted while actions cannot. Once something is done, it cannot be denied. One of my dearest memories took place on last year's (1978) Senior High workcamp. On the last night, we were to write a letter to each person in the group including one to ourselves. I took this personal letter very seriously and wanted to make it more of a letter expressing myself to others. But when I finished it, I was uncertain whether or not to share it with the whole group, so I gave it to one of my closest friends to read. She then took me aside and began to pray with me so that I would have the strength to share it. I don't remember her words, yet I remember her act. She made herself vulnerable and by doing this, she gave of herself, and I knew she loved me. So, love one another and it will be remembered. Only by loving others can we know that we are loved also, and by giving this love, we must give of ourselves so that we may share the love of God. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good deed is worth an infinite number. The meaning of an act cannot be described in words, it can only be felt in the heart. But these good deeds sometimes result in hurt or pain for others. This is because our hearts may feel and in this way we may be deceived. Yet we must turn this difficulty over to God for He knows what is truthful and He will reassure us. Many people often question why they must suffer or why they do not receive what they ask for, because they believe that they are following the commandments of the Lord. For example, a man asks why he doesn't make as much money as his neighbor or why he must take on problems that he cannot handle. However, in asking this, he is not putting his trust in the Lord and in this way his heart is condemning him. After all, the Lord never gives us more that we can handle, because if we trust in Him, He will carry the load and we can take on anything. And if we do not receive the material items which we believe we want, aren't our hearts condemning us for wanting these things over the Holy Spirit? So again, turn your needs and your wishes over to God and He will take care of you. Love one another and believe in Jesus Christ because this is what God wishes, and all that is done in God is good. In doing this, you know that God is with you and that you are with God. Youth Service
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