asbc seek devotionals 2025 2 - Flipbook - Page 42
DEVOTIONAL JOURNAL | ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
Day 19: Embracing
the Unfinished
MIN. KIASHA J. SULLIVAN
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 1:6 NIV
Can I love you in progress? Can you love me even when I’m not in my final form?
Love often begins with a singular, defining moment—a baseline from which every future
expression of love is measured. It answers the call of the gap, the wound, the misstep. It
shows up as an action that reassures heals, or redeems. But here’s the catch: we anchor
every future moment to that first defining one, expecting to replicate its magic.
I remember love. It’s like the first time I tasted the hush puppies at Peche in New
Orleans—perfection so profound that it felt like they were made with Jesus’ tears. Every
bite since carries the weight of that first moment, the expectation that it will deliver the
same depth and awe. I return again and again, chasing that unforgettable taste because it
gave me something I didn’t know I needed.
But with Christ, it’s different. That first moment of His love? It’s unmatchable. The mercy,
the grace—it wasn’t just a taste but a life-altering flood. And yet, we’re human. We crave
repetition, longing to recreate what only He can make new. That’s why His mercies are
renewed every morning.
He captured us in a moment so divine that no imitation will ever suffice. While we may
use the word “love,” most of us barely scratch its surface. True love is far beyond words—
it’s an experience, an action, a relentless pursuit of the broken, the unfinished, and the
in-progress.
JOURNAL
REFLECTIONS
Spend some time being honest about the
places were God loves you in progress; what
do you see?
42
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me as I am—
unfinished and still growing. I’m grateful, your love isn’t
bound by my flaws or failures, and you chose me even in
the messy middle of my journey.Teach me to rest inYour
unfailing love and trust in the good workYou are doing in
me, even when I can’t see it. Give me faith to walk forward,
knowingYou are with me in every step and stumble.
