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Bold Love

“Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. And your heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. There are over 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle. There are over 100 different kinds of bananas. Have you ever thought about the way that plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk? Or the fact that plants take in carbon dioxide, which is harmful to us, and produce oxygen, which we need to survive" (Crazy Love, Francis Chan)
 
Marvel at that for a moment. And then think about all of the other diverse details our God has blessed us with, such as the different kinds of laughs or smiles, simply because our God LOVES us to a capacity that exceeds comprehension. A love that we cannot understand, a love we do not deserve, but a love that we cannot run from and a love that is everlasting.
 
This week has turned into my love week. God rocks my world a bit every day with a new understanding of the depth of His love. God loves me when I cast judgmental eyes on the men HE created. He loves me when I mumble at digging holes into rock to plant flowers I refuse to believe will grow, but He proves me otherwise just because He is funny like that. Our God loves me. Unconditionally. Boldly. Forever.
 
As I have gone into the bars the past few nights, bold love has been my fixation. A love for our Lord that is so bold that I will throw myself out on the line for Him. I will walk up to a foreigner to tell them about our mission, simply to have one opportunity to share His love with them. Our team will pray out loud and loudly in a crowded KFC, for anyone to hear, simply because our God loves us and because His love needs to be shared for all the world to experience.
 
A sense of urgency has slowly come over me. After this week, my bar ministry team and I have FOUR more opportunities to spread God’s love. Four more chances to give them a glimpse into a life with Him. For more chances for them to see something different in us and for us to be able to say, we ARE different. We have a God who is all-loving who loves you too. This urgency is creating a boldness within the seven of us. We are no longer twiddling our thumbs, scared to approach a stranger, fumbling over words to say simply because we are not asking for God to speak through us. We are no longer folding the SHE flier in our hands as we debate passing them out. We no longer avoid eye contact with bar owners, rather we look them in the eyes and pray that they too will see God at work.
 
Boldness is a strong word. We have not mastered it yet, but we are working on it. With God’s strength and endurance, we will boldly share his love. And in doing so, results will come. Girls will leave the bar. Patong and Bangla Road will know the Jesus Christ that already loves them fully for who they are.

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