Christian Writers Circle

Receive God’s Freedom to Love

     by Brenda D. Flowers

Matthew 10:8 b (NKJV):   …freely you have received, freely give.

On January 21, 1976, my heart received the revelation of God’s great love for me. I opened His Love Letter, the Bible, and His love spoke to me. I am thankful for God’s freedom to love.

As I think about my love story, I see how God prepared my heart to love and how my life is a part of His Great Love Story.

It was May, 1976 when I first met Eric, at Koinonia, an important Christian music venue during the Jesus Movement Era. We happened to be sitting near each other on carpet squares on the floor in front of the Christian band. When the band took a break, we introduced ourselves and that was the beginning of our friendship.

Was that a chance meeting? I don’t think so.

On July 4th, we experienced another incident that was more than coincidence. It was the Bicentennial Year of Celebration for our country’s declaration of freedom. I was alone and lonely that momentous date. Seeking solace, I wandered to the festivities at Centennial Park. Among the crowds of happy picnickers, I felt even lonelier than when I left my dorm apartment.

Then, like in a romance movie, my eyes saw Eric standing in the crowd. At that same moment, he saw me. Our eyes met and we smiled. Eric maneuvered his way to me through the crowd and shared how he had gone by my apartment to see if I could go out with him. We were amazed he found me. That evening marked the beginning of our dating relationship.

I call incidences like that “God-incidences”. God was at work in our lives.

 It was late August, 1976. I had moved from Nashville to Atlanta upon my graduation from graduate school. Eric and I had been dating since July 4th and I knew Eric wanted a steady relationship with me. I had been struggling internally, still torn over a broken relationship I had experienced the previous year. I needed time to heal and didn’t want to hurt Eric. I also wanted to be sure of his faithfulness. He would have to pursue me.

Weeks passed…I waited to hear from Eric. I thought he cared about me but I hadn’t heard from him.

During this difficult time, I sought the Lord. I wanted to know His will.

When Eric finally called, I was excited. I remember how tender his voice sounded when he asked me why I had not responded to his letter.

“What letter?” I asked.

You see I had not received Eric’s first letter to me, his first love letter.

As he described his long heartfelt letter, I heard his sadness that I had not received it.  

I heard the longing for relationship in his voice. It was then I knew Eric loved me. 

I knew too I was ready to receive his love. 

It was another “God-incident” that I never received Eric’s first letter. I realize it took that time for God to heal my heart.

On June 17, 2021, Eric and I celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary. As we look back to the beginning of our love relationship, we are thankful for how God prepared our hearts for love. We received God’s love first, then each other’s love.

God often uses experiences and difficult circumstances to prepare hearts. He did for me and Eric.

Thinking about our love story,  I treasure how God was in the center of it.

God’s abiding love has kept us all these years. What a life adventure we have had!

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for the freedom You give to receive Your love and the freedom to give love to others. That is true love. Amen

1 John 4:19 (NKJV):  We love Him because He first loved us.