Feel The Love?

February is traditionally filled with hearts and flowers, candy and cards. Valentine’s Day surrounds us with images of store-bought sentiments and candlelit dinners for two. But romantic love isn’t the only kind of connection worth honoring this month—so we decided to broaden the subject by asking some of your favorite Homecoming Friends the following question: When have you felt the most loved?

And here are some of their responses:
 
“There have been many times! But one that stands out in my mind was when I broke my leg on the motorcycle. My friends and family in Houston surrounded me and took care of me. I'm not usually the center of the drama—but this time I was, and I was shown the unconditional love of Christ.
**Mark Lowry

“I think the times I've felt the most loved would be the three times in the delivery room experiencing the birth of our children. I couldn't believe that God would love me so much-- not only to give me such an incredible woman to share my life with, but also our three healthy babies!  I remember being very overwhelmed by God's presence as our three kids came into the world.”   **Gordon Mote


“I had the most wonderful father in the world, Rex Nelon.  He showered me with love and attention, but I grew up in an era and was raised by a man who had a hard time articulating the words "I love you". Although I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved me, he only told me a few times in my life. The last time I spoke with him before his passing was the day he was leaving for Ireland with the Homecoming Tour. We talked for awhile and as we were getting ready to hang up the last words I ever heard him say was "I love you, baby"!  I don't think in my entire life I ever felt more loved than that very moment. That was indeed a gift from God.  It will stay with me forever. One week later he went on to be with the Lord.”
**Kelly Nelon

“I grew up in a house full of pain and secrets, which left me with some emotional scars that I carried into adulthood. Even as a grown man, for some reason holidays were always hard.  I guess the kid in me was still looking for some kind of magical feeling to fill the hole in my heart-- and of course, since God is the only one that can truly do that I was always disappointed. But I’ll never forget one December night when Tori and I were first married and I came in off the road to find almost every square inch of our place decorated for Christmas-- there were three different trees, wreaths on all the doors and twinkling lights strung everywhere!  Tori had taken all of the money she had been saving to buy a new sofa and used it to turn our home into the kind of Christmas wonderland every kid dreams of. I felt so loved in that moment—not just by my wife, but by the Father who had used her love for me to reach out and heal that wounded boy inside.”
**Russ Taff