It was subtle at first.
Soon it became obvious and then I looked for it.
All the messages God was sending me were becoming a sweet game we could play together. A kind of hide n seek of sorts. God would hide them and I would find them.
I always loved to look at the clouds as a child. I could spend hours just gazing into the sky watching the clouds form pictures. I could see so clearly the formless clouds slowly turning into a whale or duck. I was good at guessing what shape would be formed before it completely stopped moving.After I started spending time with God I began to look into the clouds again. My childlike behavior was coming alive during my time in prayer. I would sit on my deck searching the sky for images when I noticed the hearts. It started slowly then I would just sit, wait and watch them form before my eyes.
I would become that little girl delighted by the formation of the clouds. I believed that God was sending me hearts to tell me He loves me.
I told my girlfriends on a trip to Siesta Key, Fl that God sends me hearts in the clouds. Of course, they laughed it off until I started to point them out. Each day I would show them the hearts. It began to change my vision into looking beyond what is in front of me and searching for hidden things.
It’s funny, what you start to look for you will find. I started to look for hearts!
That weekend at lunch I pulled out a heart-shaped potato chip. My friends were as shocked as I was. The signs were a-changing. Now, it was becoming personal.
It was apparent that God wanted to make His love more evident. He knew how to touch me in the deepest place. He wanted me to know that He loved me deeply and He was going to show that love to me everywhere I went.
God started to place hearts in the most unexpected places.
The finding of hearts became more and more common to anyone that spent any time with me. My daughter, Sam began pointing out the hearts even before I had a chance to see them. One day I was pouring dipping sauce onto my plate and formed a heart. Sam said, “Mom, of course, you would have a heart.” I would find hearts on the ground in rocks and potholes. My eyes wouldn’t be searching for them, but my spirit inside of me was. I was searching for love!
I was growing more excited about finding the hearts. I guess I was love-starved and I needed to understand why love was so important to God.
Love was something I didn’t understand. I never understood the significance of Valentine’s hearts they didn’t have any meaning to me except I would smile when I would see them.
My parents showed me a broken version of what “I love you” meant. For them, it was I love you today, but tomorrow we will have to see. It was conditional love. If you please me, then I will love you, but if you don’t you can be replaced.
I was in love with the concept of love. However, love was something that eluded me because I thought I couldn’t measure up.
The phrase “I love you” was something you said, but it was just a bunch of words. It didn’t hold the value and importance in my heart that God wanted it to have.
I wanted to believe an “I Love You” from God meant so much more, it had to. In the Bible, there is a book called Song of Songs it talks about this kind of love. To be honest, I read it, but I still couldn’t understand how it could relate to me. I saw myself as God’s child, but not His great love. He was going to change that because of the hearts.God would find such delight in sending me a heart when I didn’t deserve it. It was the moments I was angry or felt out of control that a heart would grab my attention. I would ask God, “How could you send me a heart after I acted so terribly?” The whispers of God would reply “I love you in your weakness.”
Washing dishes I would find a heart as the menial chores of life became an I LOVE YOU for being a good mother. Brushing my teeth or taking care of myself I would find a heart. God was saying, “I LOVE YOU for taking good care of yourself.”
Cooking became a place of finding hearts. It was becoming a game for me or it was that gentle reminder that God was saying, “I see what you’re doing and I love you for doing it.”
Even when I was resting or just having quiet time, God would surprise me as only He could.
Having a facial I spotted a heart on the sheet I was laying on. While finishing a cup of tea at the bottom of the cup the tea leaves had formed a heart. He was always so creative with sending His love messages.
Yes, He Loved me when I was happy, but also when I was sad. Whether I was having a bad day or an amazing day His love never changed because God is LOVE.
He doesn’t waste any opportunities to tell His children He loves them. Even the crumbs of a cookie can be used to express His love for a child.
The reminders were there. He told me in the sky, in the food, in the earth, and in everything I did. I suddenly began to understand what love is. Love isn’t fickle, love remains, love endures and love forgives. It was all written in the Bible in the book of 1 Corinthians
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 7-8 NIV
The reminders were all around me I only had to look for them. He diverted my attention away from the world’s definition of love and focused it on His heart of love for me. In the book Song Of Songs, I finally found a verse that I can relate to!
“You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. Song of Songs 4:9 NIV
God was able to break through the hurts, fears, and trepidation that held me back from feeling the love. True love, His love.
He pursued me and sent me valentines to prove His love. Special deliveries sent from God to make me His forever love!
He took every advantage to get my attention. The victory was His with each heart He sent. I’m devoted now to showing everyone God’s love for them. I’m all about being His love on earth that God now calls me His “Love Child.”
The valentines are still being sent as I continue to find the hearts. God loves to lavish His children with surprises for no other reason but to show them, love. Some of the hearts were sent a long time before I was able to see them.
The best heart I ever received was on the paw of my dog, Elvis. Funny that I had never seen it before. We were laying on the couch together when I found it. It was just another reminder “He REALLY LOVES Me”!