Perfect love drives out fear

Do you feel it on the wind? Listen. Can your heart brush its fingertips across the fur of it, relishing the soft texture and warmth under its skin? Can your tongue delight in the sweet, salty, succulent flavor of it, teeth abandoned to the joy of chewing, the give under your bite of this nourishment becoming a part of you, overflowing the senses? I see the light of heaven on you like sunshine and you're beautiful, radiant.
Maybe if I had known what loving would do to my heart, I would have abandoned these barriers and insecurities long ago. I think they're still there in so many ways. I am just now learning how to honor my family, how to directly ask for what I want and need. I am learning to safe guard my health, invest in what matters most to me, and play with my cat. I am learning that good bye can be healthy. And most of all, I am learning I am the only one I can make choices for.
It's nice to let other people run their own lives. It's a good feeling to not have to push people into their best self but simply to behold the beauty of God in them and let Him move me. I used to think I had to fix the world, hold it all together. Nowadays I do things out of the joy of being a part of my Father's world. I am not afraid anymore. My arms are wide open, my heart is free, and I am feeling that old creative energy creep back into my bones. This time, I want to build a community- this community- out of love for my neighbor, the earth, and my Maker. My dreams are simply to behold the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And I did today when you smiled at me, when Thor purred, when I ate the food you prepared, saw your heart, and read your story. Thank you for making today beautiful for me. You're my delight. Love you all.