Sealed With a Kiss: A Love Letter from God

There are moments in life when God interacts with us in a playful and surprising manner. They are moments of pure joy, truly a candy kiss from God. One such story happened to me years ago.

While I am not certified in spiritual direction, I have always been a good listener. When my children were in grammar school, I had a friend who I would meet for coffee with on a regular basis. It was a great way to spend an afternoon chatting about our families, sharing our stories with one another. Often times our conversations centered on God, for my friend was a seeker. She believed in God, but she struggled with many issues of faith, and she greatly desired a deeper relationship with Jesus. She just didn’t know how to accomplish this.

Week after week, we had great discussions about God. I shared my stories of faith and how I found God everywhere, in my studies, my family, my work at the parish, even the cranky neighbor who lived down the street. She, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to find God anywhere.

One day while talking with her, I gained some clarity on what was a stumbling block with her relationship with God. It seemed my friend was the ultimate petitioner. She prayed daily for everyone. She prayed for healings, for wholeness, for forgiveness, for peace and tranquility. Yet something was missing from her prayer life. That particular day I asked her a rather simple, yet fundamental question, “how often do you tell God that you love Him?” “What do you mean?” she replied. I repeated my question, “how often do you tell God that you love him?”

After what seemed a rather lengthy pause, my friend responded, “I don’t know. I am not sure if I ever told God that I love him.” That moment was a major break on her spiritual journey for she finally realized that she was so busy asking God to do things for her and other people that she had neglected to tell God that she loved him. Truly, this was a moment of enlightenment, for at that moment, my friend understood what was missing in her relationship with God.

After some grateful hugs and tears of joy, I walked her to her car. Waving goodbye, I went to the mailbox, and in my stack of mail was an envelope, which was marked on the outside, “Ten Ways to Tell God That You Love Him.” I immediately called out, Stop! Wait! You are not going to believe this! I just got a letter from God for you! The joy that we shared in that moment has stayed with us to this day. People say in life that timing is everything, and that there are no coincidences. I agree. That afternoon, God clearly reached out to my friend through me and through the U.S. mail. This incredible candy kiss from God taught me to never underestimate the playfulness of our gracious God who desires nothing more than a deep and loving relationship with us.

Have you told God today that you love him?

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