Falling in Love

“So, friends, I dare you to fall in love. Fall in love with Jesus. Take your grieving, your brokenness, your “I can’t take one more moment” feelings to the one and only thing that will ever satisfy you. His love.”

- Kara Palmer

We all know the feeling. Heart beating rapidly, butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, every thought consumed with the person we are falling in love with. It is intense and magical and dreamy.

But what happens when this love falters, crashing into pieces of unfulfilled hopes, plans and dreams?

I was there. A few years ago, saddened by what seemed to be the loss of a relationship irreconcilable. The emotions came in waves, and I found myself grieving deeply. 

I have this distinct memory of deep processing. Here is an excerpt of this recollection from my upcoming book From Chaos to Christ. 

“I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant at 8am in the morning. I had to meet my nanny, Morgan, to pay her for childcare for the week. I began to cry and wail in the most horrific and gut-wrenching way. It was uncontrollable, unstoppable and the most intense emotional expression of my life. I thought to myself, Kara, you are wailing. You are crying like you are burying someone you really really love, like a best friend or a child. In that very moment, a whisper from the Holy Spirit. ‘Kara, you are burying something. Bury it, it is over. No more.”

Have you ever grieved to this level of depth? A wailing ear piercing screech. It comes with deep deep loss, whether the burial is physical or emotional. The pain associated with such sorrow can be filled with only one true thing, his love.

We might try to fill our pain and sorrow with distractions, busyness, materialism, substances- everything and anything but the one that is truly satisfying.

I remember driving down the road one day when the flood came over me. You know what it feels like to stand in the pouring rain and feel water soak every inch of your body. This was my experience when I felt God’s love showering down on me. It was heavy and soul penetrating like a flood straight from the heavens. At this moment, I realized I was falling in love.

 Falling in love with God and his goodness.

 No other human person or thing could satisfy my grief to such a depth.

Tears poured down my face and in the same moment a laugh out loud joy as the realization hit me that man would never be able to give me the pure love that the Father has to offer. It is unconditional, you love me as you find me, kind of love.

The scriptures describe in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” To be drawn into an everlasting love with unfailing kindness, this is real love. 

 I gave my grief to him and he filled it with his immense love. This is the kind of love that brings tears of joy to the face in life’s most difficult moment and that makes the heart beat rapidly. But unlike earthly love, his love will never fail me.

 So, friends, I dare you to fall in love. Fall in love with Jesus. Take your grieving, your brokenness, your “I can’t take one more moment” feelings to the one and only thing that will ever satisfy you. His love.