As Jesus prayed “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:25-26 (NKJV)
Today I want to share with you one of my poems which I daresay best tells the story of my life. Back in February of this year, I did a series “In Search of Love.” Well, that has been my life. Amazing the Grace and Patience God did show as my search led me down so many roads. I studied God’s word, I grew in Grace; yet, so much was veiled in mystery. Step by step, one truth at a time; God revealed His magnificent beauty to me. Somehow, I had believed that if I worked hard enough, endured long enough the trials that came; God would give me my heart’s desire—someone who would love me true. As the years passed, I at times compromised truth in search of that goal; believing, hoping that just over the next hill would be the one true love. Heart break lead me to wrap myself into a cocoon like shell where I could never be hurt again. God’s waited, watched and patiently nurtured every step of the way. There in the darkness, light shone in and I realized. The very thing I had longed for was there deep in my heart—it was God’s love inside me. As I broke out of that shell, I realized how free I was to fly. Love was mine, it had always been there inside me. All through the journey, God had sent so many people who touched my life, transformed it one kind act at a time. I not only loved; but, had been loved by so many friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and my dear, precious children. How freeing it is to love and to be loved as God’s Beloved!! Well, that is my story! I hope you enjoy this poem.
The Song of a Butterfly
by Effie Darlene Barba
A little girl had called Your name
Began to feast upon Your word
And like a caterpillar came
To cherish comfort, truth was blurred
I thought that if I did what’s right
You’d give me all my heart’s delight
Had I forgotten it was Grace
That came to save a worm like I
Within my heart pride took its place
Then I believed as truth the lie
That if You loved me as Your dear
You’d only fill my life with cheer
Above all else my one desire
To find the one who’d love me true
Enduring all I flamed that fire
And there He was, a gift from You
A human heart with broken soul
The pain of which did take its toll
Yet, willing heart my love stood firm
I bade you Lord to give me strength
Your love for me you did affirm
Unveiling all its depth and length
And then You took my earthly love
To be with you- Your home above
My sorrow came like bitter rain
I searched for love again to find
Attempts to love I did but feign
Until to loneliness resigned
I cannot tell you now the why
Despite Your love I still did cry
With Broken Heart-I drew within
And built a hard cocoon like shell
How was it that I thought therein?
I’d safe from pain and sorrow dwell
There within the dark cold wall
I heard God’s voice, I heard You call
In darkness there I felt Your Grace
I struggled, Lord your will to see
And there I saw Your love filled face
This gave me strength to then break free
So there I’d sealed myself to die
And now emerged a butterfly
Oh wondrous Joy I know is mine
And Love abounding in this heart
Your Mercy, Grace and Glory Shine
Upon my life You did impart
The broken moments You did will
That I might fly above the hill
And now, Dear God; Your love in me
No longer wrought with fear or need
This heart of mine has been set free
To pour forth love in word and deed
To those I meet along this way
And fly with joy in You today.
[tweetthis]God’s love abiding within my heart; frees me to love as His Beloved[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”Love has been there, every step of this journey of faith; God’s joyous love abiding in my heart” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”There it was, the very thing I had searched a lifetime for–Love had always been mine to hold” username=”effiedarlene”]
I would love to here about your journey; please scroll down to comment below.
Photo Used is Courtesy of https://www.shutterstock.com
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.