Redeemed By LOVE: A Valentine's Day Reflection

At the dawn of creation, in the garden of our hearts, where flowers once bloomed, I turned away, enticed by the world's whispered perfume, which, like sweet poison, lured me from your embrace. I craved the world's fleeting pleasures, trading eternal love for temporary highs.

In the stillness of the night, You knocked. Your voice, soft as morning dew, whispered my name, but I turned away, wrapped in the warmth of my own desires. You called to me, my Love, but I was deaf to your voice, lost in the labyrinth of my desires.

I wandered far from your presence, seeking solace in emptiness. I remember the nights I spent in the arms of strangers; their touch was fleeting, their promises counterfeit. You stood at the door, calling, waiting,

Yet my heart, drunk on fleeting pleasures, Refused to rise, refused to open. I adorned myself in garments of pride.

I became a harlot leaping from one embrace to another, chasing after shadows. You searched for me, but I was searching for a love that could never satisfy. Dancing with illusions, tracing the edges of forbidden dreams.

You pursued me through my unfaithfulness, through the streets of my rebellion, You followed, Through the corridors of my shame, You whispered, Through the alleys of my regret, You waited, your heart breaking with every step I took away from you.

You sent messengers and dreamers, but I rejected their words, blinded by my own desires. You came to my brothers and sisters, pleading with them to tell me of your love, to bring me back to your heart, to redeem me, but I rejected their words, I scorned their love and continued to wander, lost and alone.

Through the ages, your love echoed, a constant refrain in the symphony of creation. Even as I strayed, you remained faithful, your love a beacon in the darkness. You yearned for my return, your heart aching with every rejection. I built walls around my heart, thinking I could escape your love, but your love pursued me relentlessly.

And then, you brought a Gift; the ultimate price was paid. You offered yourself a sacrifice for my sins, bearing the weight of my unfaithfulness. You were wounded for my transgressions, crushed for my iniquities. The pain you endured and the love you freely gave were enough to shatter the walls I had built around my heart.

But when You came near with the Gift, I ridiculed You. I mocked Your tenderness. I rejected Your Gift, and I cast You aside as if You were the stranger When, all along, it was I who was estranged.

Until the day I hit rock bottom and broke. The day my hands were stained with the dust of my wanderings, and I realized I couldn't find my way, I couldn't escape the darkness that I'd devised. That's when I remembered Your love, and I recalled the whispers of Your heart, the love that never faltered, never grew cold. Ooh! I saw the depth of my betrayal, the immensity of your love. I saw the price you paid, the sacrifice you made for me. And in that moment, I fell to my knees, broken and contrite. The scales fell from my eyes, and I saw the true light, the light of your unwavering love. Reaching for something real, something true. And I found You, no! You found me.

I rose, trembling, hands on the door I once refused to open. I sought You, breathless, desperate, longing. And there You were, waiting still. Arms open, love unshaken, your heart overflowing with forgiveness and grace unspoiled.

I fell into You, undone, unworthy, the prodigal, weary and ashamed, And yet, You called me Yours, not with anger, nor with resentment, But with joy, with celebration, With the love that had never once abandoned me.

And now, my heart is Yours Forever, not just in words, but in truth. I am consumed by your mercy. No more wandering, no more fleeing. No more chasing ghosts when I have found Love itself.

You are my first Love. The only Love that never left. And I am finally home. Thank you for not giving up on me😭

I dedicate this Valentine’s Day to the One who loved me first, Who loved me still, and who will love me forever. My Lord, My Shepherd, and Friend. My King, My Priest, My Everlasting Father and Savior Jesus Christ!

And to you our there, who's lost in the crowd. God loves you. He has already paid the price in Christ Jesus. He's waiting daily to receive you with a warm embrace. In Him you have redemption, whether you're a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, or whoever, Christ is for humanity and not for certain people. He loves you!❣❣

From your Lover,

Your Redeemed,

Your peculiar treasure,

Ikeji Michael O.