In response to our request for love stories, Gayle Willson sent the following account of how God has taught her how much He loves her, and how she can be an expression of His love to others. Enjoy!...
I am surrounded by love---I am helping to plan two weddings that will take place within 2 months of each other! In our house LOVE is spelled, budget, and plans, and H-o-b-b-y L-o-b-b-y! I watch as our children love on each other by showing affection, call each other numerous times a day, and giving each other little surprises. WE have watched romance bloom over the past 2 years, as friendships sprang up, and then became dating relationships and then—not to our surprise—but a young man is nervously sitting on our couch anticipating what Blair will say when he announces his intentions, and then asks, “May I have Lisa’s hand in marriage?†and several months later—“May I have Lauren’s hand in marriage?†and Blair’s response “Do you want the rest of her also?†to both young men. So now I get two new sons, in a 2 month period. This is maybe more expensive than birthing 2 new sons, but certainly just as exciting.
Oh very much unequalled to the birth of my children, but surrounded by just as much love, as a parent, my eyes are opened into a brand new world, just as they were on Nov 8, 1983, when my world changed as Lauren Gayle Willson, brought her little red head into the world, and just as on July 25, 1985 Lisa Kay Willson, and March 13, 1987 Joshua Blair Willson did the same (all with red hair, too!). Blair and I said from the very moment of the knowledge of being pregnant, “Oh this baby won’t change our lives!†I never realized how my heart strings would become so attached to little 9 pound bundles, and has grown stronger and stronger each day of their existence. The cords are now ‘fixin’ to be broken as they tie the knot-- so to speak, but the cord of the love in our family will just be made stronger as we add two more cords- Kyle and Tyson, so the cord not broken, just strengthened.
‘Bind us together Lord, Bind us together in cords that can not be broken’—is a chorus that comes to mind.
I always knew about Jesus, and God the Father, and the Holy Ghost as a child. I was taught to honor them, and reverence them, and in 1974, I came to understand that Jesus was more than the Jesus of the Bible. He was my Savior and my Friend and desired a relationship with me, and I accepted Him into my life. But it wasn’t until 1996 that I fell in love with Jesus, and understood the He is IN love with me. Secular music spoke to me as His love songs (“Longer Than,†“Through the Eyes of Love,†“Save Your Heart for Meâ€). He began to unfold the truth of His word to me, showing me that when He looked at me, He saw beauty. He didn’t look on my outsides, He saw my insides, my heart. In my heart, it was filled with Himself, because I was IN Christ, and He was IN me. I began to understand what Gal 2:20 meant. “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for meâ€
He began to show me in His Word, how very special I am to Him. He showed me that He brags on me, He cuddles with me, He walks with me, He paints the most beautiful sunrises just for me! He sings me loves songs over the radio, He smiles at me through the faces of my husband and my children, and He parents me.
As a mother, loving these children, sometimes so much until it physically hurts me, I see my Father loving me, in the somewhat same way. He gave me these 5 children so I can understand what parenting love is all about. The way I love my children, is just multiplied by million as to how Father loves me. It was through my children that He allowed me to a place in my life to see that I NEEDED a Savior. It was through my children that I got on my knees and said, “Jesus, I can’t! I can’t! I am hurting so bad “trying to†- trying to get Your help, and I must surrender this ALL to You.†And do you know what He said to me? “Thank you, Gayle, I will do it ALL for you! All I needed was for you to allow ME that privilege in your life.†He took all the I was—my faults, my uglies, and even the good in me, and replaced it with Himself. Jesus Christ Himself, is living His life in and through me. My salvation was not just getting my sins forgiven, it was HIS love flowing through me in His LIFE.
Oh no----yes, Gayle still makes her own choices, many times bad ones, but God loves me so much He allows me that. As a parent, my children (ages 24, 22, 20) all make their choices, they are adults, and sometime I agree with them, and sometimes I don’t, just like God does with me! But I LOVE THEM! Nothing will ever change my love for them. God has stated over and over, that also with me, His love will never change! How vast is His love when He says, not life or death or heights or depths or angels or principalities will EVER change His love. HE LOVES ME---for me, and I will bask in that love forever.
Just this week He sang to me as I listened to Josh Groban sing “When I say I love you†That was Jesus singing to me. The words say that “When He says He loves me, the earth stands still, there is no one else alive. Gayle, you’re the one I ‘ve thought of.â€
That is how special I am to Jesus, as if I am the only one for Him to love. His Word reveals that over and over.
This life here on this earth is but just a little tiny smidgen of what my eternity is. The “LOVES†of my life (Blair and all the kids, my parents, other loved ones) will be with me, just walking and talking and soaking in the love of Jesus, because that is what He desires. He desires ME! AMEN and AMEN.
Ephesians 1:4 - He chose me!
Romans 5:5 - His love has been POURED out in my heart
John 16:33 - In Him, I have peace
John 15:16 - Jesus talking to Gayle-- You did not choose me, but I chose YOU
John 14:20 - In that day (the day of my salvation---forgiveness AND life) you will know that I am IN the Father, and you IN Me, and ME IN you.
