"Remain"

Hey y'all! I've been waiting all week to sit down and write this. Last Sunday was a craaazzyy day. I was going through a really hard time and was about to make decisions that I would regret. That afternoon God spoke to me. After I had a mental breakdown and took a nap, my mom advised that I should go to "The Ark of Safety" which is a service held at our church. I wasn't going to go but last minute I decided I needed to. The first thing I heard coming out of this sermon was "Remain".

"As the Father has loved me, so have I Loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." John 15:9-10

One of the things said in the sermon that really got me was what remain meant. The sermon stated remain to mean to stay, not depart and continue to be held. It was the last part that spoke to me so much. To just continue to be held. Just continue to be held by him in HIS love. The beautiful thing about this is that there's something about being held in someone's arms, like a barrier of safety around you that lifts you up in spirit and brings you complete comfort and feeling of secureness. I remembered at that moment what it was like to be held and the feeling of ultimate comfort it brought me. I needed that at that moment, just to be held. To feel that love, and comfort and absolute safety. The thing about this is we can ask God to hold us. That night before I went to sleep, I pictured being held in Jesus' arms and feeling his love. I prayed for him to continue to hold me. I continued to ask him to do that through the week and I felt God hold me through all of it.

The next thing that stood out to me was they used a phrase "Stay, don't abandoned ship." That hit me like a train. It was the exact thing I was going through. I myself was about to abandoned ship. I was about to leave the ship that I loved so very dearly, but not only was I about to leave one ship but other ships that followed behind that one. There was one ship in the front that tied all the boats up together. Which in the moment was the one holding me above the water. Even though I was in the boat I felt like I was sinking, like I was drowning deeper and deeper into what was happening. Right as I was about to abandon all those ships that day, God told me "Stay, don't abandoned ship. This storm shall pass." At that point I started looking at my mom like is this sermon about me?

"and he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39

Another thing I heard out of this sermon was "make a decision not to believe lies about God. Don't believe these lies." This really hit home too, because not only was I about to abandon my ships I felt unloved, unworthy, troubled and lost. The next thing spoke in this sermon was about confidence in God. I was told he is satisfied with me, that he is fond of me and that he cherishes me. Next, we were told to ask God what he loved about us. At the time I heard one thing from God about what he loved about me, but later on through the week I began to see through his word what he loved about me.

Imago Dei- "Image of God" (Latin word)

In the sermon this word was used, and I think it's so cool. Imago Dei: Image of God. What a beautiful phrase it was to me: Image of God. That word Imago Dei made me think of how I am made into the image of him. What a beautiful thing to see that when you look in the mirror you are seeing the Image of God. That we are created by him. That are creator made us to look like him; we are his children.

" I am in them and you in me- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17: 23

In the sermon they quoted this verse above and said that God loves us as much as he loves Jesus. What a thing to think about huh? That God loves us just as much as the Son of man. Such a thing to grasp and realize that God loves us that much. After the sermon was done, I was brought to tears of the eeriness of how related that sermon was to me at that moment. Not only did it give me goosebumps, but it made me realize how much God loves me and how beautiful that love is. Before we left, they anointed us with the oil of joy from Israel and prayed.

On the way home, I knew what God was telling me and I laughed. He continued to through the whole sermon repeat the word "Stay". It was like he was hollering it right in my face. I imagined God Infront of me just saying " Hey Stay! Stay! Stay" with his hands out Infront trying to stop me from making some bad decisions. I found joy as I drove home. Me and my mom continued to talk about how related this sermon was to me and we laughed at it. All through the rest of the week, God continued to hold me and speak to me through his word. I was so intrigued by the message, I decided to read allot of John. Alot of the scripture I found in John continued to talk about love, and I found peace in that and felt his love.

I learned allot through that Sunday and through the week. I am so thankful for my mom giving me the opportunity to go to that sermon and all who have been involved in " The Ark of Safety". Most of all I am so thankful for God and all those ships I did not abandon. I love my ships dearly, although they tip me over the edge, they all truly have been a blessing in my life. I pray that the love I found from God last week, you can also find, because he is so so so so loving and it will captivate you. I pray that you will remain in him, his word and his love. I also pray that you can rest in confidence in God and find peace.