Looking for Love

If you knew that an outrageously large sum of money sat in an unknown account with your name on it, how much time would you spend trying to locate that money? Would you look up the addresses of every bank within a 100-mile radius and then expend massive amounts of energy traipsing from bank to bank? Would you lay awake at night wondering why others found their money so easily, and yet you always seem to come up a day late and lots of dollars short?

Knowing we have more waiting on us and not knowing where to find it creates tremendous frustration. Observing other folks enjoying the blessings of their own generous accounts leaves us feeling empty. We try to analyze: “Maybe if I had just learned more, worked harder, and done more, then I’d have a big smile on my face too.”

About ten years ago, I didn’t have a fortune waiting on me in an unknown bank account, but I did know what an empty spirit felt like. I looked at the lives of some of my friends and knew there was more for me out there somewhere, but I had no idea how to find it. Does that describe you right now? 

If we’re honest with ourselves, I believe we could all use just a little “more” these days. More love. More grace. More friendship. I am happy to tell you that all those things are available to you – more than you can even imagine. However, before you can take steps toward finding more, you must embrace every ounce of God’s love for you.

Looking back at the process God led me through, I tried to find someone in the Bible who might have traveled the same road. Lo and behold, I found someone! 

This guy loved to learn. He sat at the feet of a famous teacher, felt determined to know every jot and tittle of the Law, and moved his way up in the ranks of religious leadership. He became so entrenched in rule-following that he vehemently opposed anyone who dared tarnish the Torah. This Pharisee among Pharisees wasn’t content to wait for blasphemers to come his way. No, Saul went looking for them. 

These days, legalists give Christians a bad name. I know because I used to be one. In Saul’s day, Pharisees gave Jews a bad name for the same reasons. Due to their knowledge of the Scriptures, they held a lofty opinion of themselves and felt threatened by the growing number of Jesus followers who simply relied on grace through faith in Him rather than crossing all their t’s and dotting all their i’s to save them. 

The first two verses of Acts 9 give us a feel for the mindset of Saul. 

“Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.” 

How ironic that when Luke recorded this scene he chose to label the Jesus followers as prisoners when in fact, Saul was the very one in a spiritual prison. He just didn’t know it yet.

Isn’t it reassuring that God would look down at a man like Saul, who dismissed the significance of sending Jesus to earth, and see tremendous value? I wonder if He and Jesus sat together and marked out their plan for using Saul’s knowledge of the Scriptures, his incredible passion, and his faith to save generations of men and women. Surely, they must have smiled knowing the transformation that would soon take place in Saul’s heart. He was about to find the same freedom those so-called prisoners had found.

Saul thought the bright light of the Damascus road brought about a disability. God saw the blinding light as an act of the greatest kind of love – a love that will do whatever it takes to bring the best out of someone. Circumstances and events that knock us to the ground are most often the ones that lift us straight up into the loving arms of God. Our dark days give us time to assess our spiritual condition. It’s in those quiet dark days that seeds of transformation find fertile soil in which to germinate. 

God always keeps His loving eye on your life. He’s mapped out a plan that puts your greatest characteristics to good use. 

If you knew that an outrageously large amount of love sat in an account with your name on it, how much time would you spend trying to locate that love? The more love you accept from God, the more love you’ll be able to give. Simply put, loved people love people.

********

Next week, we’ll talk about Saul’s three days in the darkness and what they can mean for you. I can’t wait to meet you back here. In the meantime, keep tabs on this week’s difficult things that move you closer to God’s love. 

Posted in
a poster that says Looking for Love with nature background

Donna Jackson

My Pleasure, Chick-fil-A

By Donna Jackson | August 5, 2025 |

Last week, Ron and I, along with five other couples, had the privilege of touring the Chick-fil-A Support Center in Atlanta. From the moment you drive onto the property, you notice the attention to excellence paid to every small detail: manicured lawns, lush plants, crystal-clear windows, shining floors, and even sweet-smelling restrooms. Smiles brighten the…

When Did Your Journey Begin?

By Donna Jackson | July 29, 2025 |

It fills my heart with happy to introduce you to my Jamaican friend, Kaidean Rice. I’ve watched her love for God grow into a beautiful display of joy and peace that only comes from walking hand-in-hand with Jesus. Read her description of how her journey began and be inspired to move a little closer to…

Replay the Stories Behind Your Scars

By Donna Jackson | July 22, 2025

Mothers often habitually latch onto childhood misadventures and hit the replay button for anyone willing to listen. (I’m shamefully guilty of doing that with my children.) However, no one seemed to enjoy it more than my mother. My mischievous spirit definitely gave her plenty of material for storytelling, enough to make listeners’ eyes glaze over.  Mother…

A Summer Read for You

By Donna Jackson | July 15, 2025

Looking for an uplifting summer read that inspires a deeper love for Jesus? What if there were a miracle greater than physical healing? Would you want it? Follow Denise Johnson’s battle with Stage 4 cancer and discover how you can transform your struggle into something you might not expect. This is by no means a…

Do You Know Who You’re Talking To?

By Donna Jackson | July 8, 2025

Before I began teaching full-time, I substituted for seven years in a K-12 school. My days with kindergarten children found me counting objects, naming colors, giving sounds to letters, tying shoes, and wiping noses. I soon learned that staying aware of middle-schoolers’ raging hormones was essential. And a week with twelfth graders required extra study…

Hope for the Tired Soul

By Donna Jackson | July 1, 2025

Recently, I came across an unfamiliar theological term. Naturally, the schoolteacher in me did what I used to tell my students to do when they encountered a new word – I looked it up! I had heard the words ‘orthodoxy’ and ‘orthopraxy’. (Don’t let those words stop you from reading further. This is going to…

Who’s at the End of Your Pipeline?

By Donna Jackson | June 24, 2025

If you’ve ever built or remodeled a house, chances are you’ve had pieces of PVC pipe lying around. When these pipes are new, they are pristine, clean, and white. That’s good since drinking water usually flows through them. However, over time, these pipes can develop residue that sticks and restricts water flow. This buildup can…

A Fresh Fragrance

By Donna Jackson | June 10, 2025

Arguably, most of us are addicted to something. Some are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Others to pleasure, power, possessions, or a combination of other things. As for me, I am addicted to a judgmental spirit. There! I said it out loud (sort of)! I spent most of my years focused on being an outward…

Overcoming the Slow Erosion of Hope

By Donna Jackson | June 3, 2025

Knowing that God is working THROUGH us to accomplish something of eternal value warms our hearts with joy; however, God working IN us is another matter. More often than not, exchanging our fleshly desires for godly ones is not a quick yank. It’s more like slowly peeling a Band-Aid off a hairy arm. The hairier…

Chasing a Rabbit Born of Water

By Donna Jackson | May 27, 2025

You’ve laced up your boots, strapped on your backpack, and headed down a well-worn and familiar path. Before seeing them, you can picture every tall tree, mossy boulder, and narrow stream. You smile when you see your own boot prints etched in the dirt along the way. You know the trail by heart because you’ve…