Testimony from Deb Boutwell

"God is not Mad AT you~ He's Mad About You!"Share
Today at 1:31am
The preacher said, “God is not Mad at you~ He’s MAD ABOUT YOU!”

I can't seem to get this out of my head, after hearing it again.

Have you ever been in love? Really in love? Crazy, madly, passionately in love with someone?

My first awesome and maddening love experience was years ago when I feel "head over heels" in love with Jesus, when he saved my sin sick soul!

And then, I have been so blessed to have experienced that wonderful "man & woman" in true maddening kind of passionate love~ and I really do still feel that way about my husband, sometimes! PTL! LOL!

But when I had children, WOW! I have never ben the same and I have always been madly in love with my children!

And, now less than 4 weeks ago, I experienced it again, with the birth of my first granddaughter! WOW!

I grew up viewing God as a Holy, untouchable, to be feared kind of God, that was always shaking his head at me (in disappointment and even disgust) as he kept marking big checks and lists beside my name! Keeping a tally of all the sinful thoughts and deeds I was guilty of- knowing always, that just like Grandma often said- "One day, God's gonna get 'cha for that!!".

I am reminded of a time when I was on a weekend retreat away from my family, and I got up early one morning, and sneaked out of my Dorm to sit down by the river, to drink my coffee, and to meditate and pray in the stillness, before the business of the day started. I began praying for my family, and as I prayed for them all, I went through my list and got to my youngest daughter who was about 9 or 10 at the time, and I began to pray for my husband, and my son and my daughters teachers to all be kind to her, and to have patience with her, and to help her, in MY absence. And my prayer was along the lines, "Oh Father give her Your favor, because she is so misunderstood, by so many..." And as I sat there thinking thought about HER, and the kind of kid that she was, and of some of her antics, I couldn't help but to begin to shake my head (humorously) from side to side, and chuckled out loud, and said, "Oh Father, that kid~ I don't know what to do with her sometimes - She just cracks me up!" I sort of startled and surprised myself, sitting there in the quietness of the early dawn, by laughing aloud... and then I heard my Abba Father say so sweetly to me... "Yeah and that's exactly how I feel about YOU~ You crack me up too!!"
WOW! My thoughts were totally halted! I was even silently speechless!!!
I remember sitting there so overwhelmed by my Father’s love and affirmation. Filled with joy, free and relieved of all condemnation, feeling accepted and adored.~ And the biggest smile I ever felt, rose up from within me and planted it’s self on my face, and all I could do was chuckle, as My Father, chuckled with me, shaking his head from side to side~ as tears of joy flowed down my smiling face~ realizing - God wasn't Mad at me~ He was truly MAD about me!!

How thrilled I was to only minutes later hear this scripture read to us in a Chapel service, the first time I had ever heard it:

Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Bible) The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult [to be extremely happy or joyful about something] over you with singing.

My Abba Father, God... singing, rejoicing, maybe even dancing over me~ because he's Madly in love with ME! Isn't He Marvelous?!