Love Letter No. 1 - by Christina Sasso

I remember the first time God gave me a tiny taste of His love for people. ALL people. For God so loved the WORLD, He gave His Only Begotten Son, Jesus. The WORLD. Not the saved world, not the "holy" world. THE WORLD! It was about 7 years ago, we had recently moved into our home and were doing restoration work. I was sitting in our backyard, just sitting and thinking. (I do that a lot) My neighbor was in her yard screaming about something I don't really remember. What I do remember is I hated her. Yep, HATED her. I was praying her out of the neighborhood. (I really have to laugh at this now, and weep at the same time). So, as I'm sitting there, wishing her to the cornfield, I literally feel the Holy Spirit rain down love on me. This is hard to describe... It felt like a huge, drenching bucket of water over my head and body, but it wasn't water. It was overwhelming, all-encompassing LOVE! I couldn't take it. I started crying uncontrollably. I was repenting and weeping. How dare I hate her. (I'm crying now writing this) How dare I hate her when Jesus and The Father loved her so much. In that moment God changed my heart. I fell in love with my neighbor. I prayed, "Lord, give me another chance to show her friendship and love". Well, God, ever faithful, gave me that chance. It might have been that very same day when my neighbor came stomping into my yard, uninvited. (which, in the past, would have ticked me off to no end) This time, I thanked God. It was not easy or "natural" for me then (I've gotten much better at it) but I was determined to be loving, kind, and patient with whatever she (and God) had in mind. An hour and a half later, I was back home after getting a tour of her house. (basement and attic included) Seeing her vast "collections" and then having her choose something from that collection to give me as a house-warming gift. Coming up on 9 years later, I now know her, prayed with her, stood with her and her family, and love her. Yep, LOVE her.