I had a giggle fit. Right there by the cash register at Lowe’s, with a dumb-founded cashier and husband staring at me. I couldn’t help it. What I heard was so beautiful and so unexpected that it caught me by surprise. And of all the places for this to happen –it happened at Lowe’s? (Then again, my First Love is a Carpenter, so why wouldn’t He enjoy surprising me here with a love song? And no, I’m not talking about my husband Brent, though he is the second love of my life and a carpenter too.)

Nope, I’m talking about my First Love Jesus – and He was singing over me in the Lowe’s Hardware store in St. Joseph, Missouri.

(Oh my gosh – did you get that? St. Joseph? As in Jesus’ adopted Dad? Haha…that’s funny!)

Okay, maybe you don’t get my giggle fit either. I can feel the same kind of steely weirded-out stare from the other side of this monitor.

Let me explain.

For a while now, I’ve been asking Jesus to sing over me; give me love songs in a way that only He can. Maybe that sounds strange to you – asking the God of the Universe to send a love song. Did you know that God DOES sing over you?

Zephaniah 3:17 says: “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Ever since I saw that scripture and learned about God’s desire to pursue us with His love, I’ve been asking Him to send me love songs. I’ve heard it said that a God love song doesn’t necessarily have to be an actual song. It can be a gorgeous sunset, or a bird singing, or the beauty of wildflowers spilling over the hillside. Whatever makes your heart tingle with expectation and longing for God, that’s His love song over you.

For me though, actual songs make me ache for God more. And He knows this about me.

I wasn’t always this bold about asking for a love song. In fact the very first time I prayed for God to sing over me, I didn’t think He’d actually do it. Even though others had this happen to them and they were encouraging me to do the same, I was ashamed to admit that I longed for this. I already had made up my mind that God was too unattainable anyway, that the only relationship He was interested in was one of an obedient disciple – you know – “Do this and I’ll do that” kind of relationship. Not a “Hey Holly, I just love you soooooo much, I wanna sing about it,” kind of thing. I mean, seriously? Can you imagine God in luuuuuuuuuv?

Yeah, I couldn’t either at first.

Until He actually sang over me.

Then I freaked out.

I was at a point in my life back then where I had shut down my heart. A painful past helped me decide that having feelings of any kind at all weren’t worth it anymore. Yet when I read Zephaniah 3:17 for the first time, my heart stirred with longing. Shyly, I whispered a prayer that God would indeed sing over me, as His word promised.

Imagine my surprise when I heard Him singing in my ear a few days later.

I was standing with other congregational members at a worship service while they were singing a love song to God. I couldn’t sing because I was mad and sad and angry and disappointed with the way things were going in my life. So I closed my eyes and listened to the music float in and out around me.

And that’s when I heard Him.

Well, I didn’t know who it was at first. All I could hear was a gorgeous voice singing in my left ear. It wasn’t my husband’s beautiful tenor voice, for he was standing to my right. So I opened my eyes to see who this exquisite voice belonged to.

Only on my left, there was no one right beside me.

There were several chairs between me and the next person and he wasn’t singing either! And this Voice is STILL singing in my ear.

I look behind me.

All young ladies.

The Voice is still singing.

I’m so shocked that I drop to my seat. I feel the Holy Spirit’s presence just calming my heart, and for the first time I really HEAR the words being sung. It’s the praise song, “Draw Me Close To You”, only I’m hearing…

“Draw Me close to you – never let Me go. I’d lay it all down again – to hear you say that I’m your friend. You are My desire – no one else will do. Cause nothing else could take your place – to feel the warmth of your embrace. Help Me find the way – bring Me back to you.”

By then, I was sobbing.

Now every time I hear, “Draw Me Close To You”, I whisper to Jesus, “Hey, that’s Our Song.” :)

Since then, I’ve had other occasions where certain songs stand out to me as His love song over me. One time I was thinking back about the incident I mentioned above and thought, “Jesus, will You give me another love song?”

Right then on the radio, Mathew West’s song “More” starts playing:

“I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine; you are Mine and you shine for Me to! I love you yesterday and today and tomorrow I’ll say it again…and again. I love you more!”

Then one time I was studying for a women’s Bible study outside at a cafe while waiting for my food order to come up. A couple of college girls put their purses down behind me and went inside to order. I kept one eye on their purses while I studied. The book study also talked about asking God for a love song. So I dared God: “How You gonna give me a love song now God? Can you do it? There’s no radio, no speakers anywhere. Maybe You’ll send me a bird singing?”

And right then (I kid you not!) one of the girl’s cell phones started ringing in her purse:

“Hello! I love you - won’t you tell me your name? Hello! I love you - won’t you tell me your name?”

The Doors? Really God…You’re using a song by The Doors?!?

But I had to laugh. God had already anticipated my daring question and was already prepared to answer that. He’s got a great sense of humor!

Which brings me back to the giggle fit at Lowe’s.

For you see, I didn’t ask God for a love song in particular on that day. In fact, I’m realizing now that He’s been singing over me a long time, and I’m just NOW recognizing that. On the days I ask for a love song, what I’m really saying is “open my ears to hear what You’ve been singing over me all this time.”

And on that day at Lowes, while I’m mindlessly following my husband around for the latest work project I hear the band Skillet start singing:

Ooh Your Love is a symphony!
All around me
Running to me
Ooh Your Love is a melody!
Underneath me, and into me

Oh Your love is a song
Your love is a song
Your love is a song
Your love is a song

With my eyes wide open
I’ve got my eyes wide open
I’ve been keeping my hopes unbroken

Yeah, yeah…
Your love is a song
Yeah, yeah
Your love is my remedy
Yeah, yeah
Oh, Your love is a song….

Wow. A song I’ve heard many times on my local Christian radio station, just blaring out its happy tune right there in a secular marketplace.

I’m humbled to think of all the times He’s sung over me and I’ve only relegated it to background noise. God forgive me for all those times I did not hear You. Open my eyes and my ears to hear You in the everydayness of life. I’ve got my eyes wide open and I’m keeping my hopes unbroken.
Will you join me in listening for God’s voice singing? Have you heard Him singing over you? Care to share? I’d love to join in on the celebration.

Blessings on your week,

Holly