Having prayed through Paul’s prayers in my morning devotions, I was gripped by this phrase in the Amplified Bible “…(That you may really come) to know (practically, through experience for yourselves) the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience).

I determined that I had an hour left before I needed to get ready for work. I turned off all the lights in the house, settled down with my coffee in a comfortable lounge chair with soft “soaking” music in the background. I asked God to let me experience His love, personally.

It was the time of the day where night meets morning. I watched the darkness of our backyard, knowing that light would soon win.

Then my heart leapt within me. I thought I saw something moving in the dark. Was it only shadows? Was it my imagination? But, no, as I looked closer there were vague outlines of real movement.

Flooded with joy, I recognized two deer enjoying the breakfast I had prepared for them. Yesterday, trudging through the snow and cold, I had carried a pail of crushed corn and filled two aluminum basins at the back of our yard. This morning, I watched as these beautiful creatures tasted and saw that it was good.

I sensed God whisper; “Your joy is just a surface scratch of what I feel for you when you devour what I have prepared for you.”