I am SO excited to announce that I have teamed up with Live Original to create an exclusive study for their online community, LO Fam! The study is all about love, relationships, and redemption and I couldn’t be more hopeful to share about all that God has taught me about Himself through my relationship. Doors are open this week for you to join so I hope to see you there!

But for today, friend, as I was praying about what I wanted to write about for this blog, Jesus put you on my heart. That may sound funny because you may think “you don’t even know my name”, but I believe that’s why Jesus put you on my heart. I felt like He wanted me to remind you today that He knows your name. Yes, it’s that simple and yet we still often forget. The creator of the world, who is also the creator of your heart, knows your name.

In fact, He LOVES your name. He loves getting to hear your name and He loves getting to say it.  He calls you by name.

The reason I think I feel so strongly to remind you of that, is because Jesus has been reminding me of that lately. I’ve been in a place where I’ve desperately needed to hear Him say my name.   Some of you might know already, but I’m engaged and getting married on Dec 15th to Clayton Ray Pickens (insert heart eyes emoji). Although I prayed for my husband as long as I can remember, I truly couldn’t have ever prayed for all the little things about Clayton that drew me to him. I’ve never known someone to love so deeply. His heart is tender and soft before Jesus like I’ve never seen before. I could go on and on about Him, but that leads me back to what I really want to share today.

My relationship with Clayton brings me so much JOY, but Clayton is not my happiness. My relationship with Clayton brings me so much PEACE, but Clayton is not my peace. My relationship with Clayton brings me so much LIFE, but Clayton is not my life. My relationship with Clayton brings me so much CONFIDENCE, but Clayton is not my confidence.

If you don’t already know where I’m going with this, you may be thinking you hope he never reads this blog… and if so it might surprise you that I sent it to him, he read it, and he loved it!   Let me explain why he loved it…

Just like Clayton isn’t my joy, peace, life, and confidence… I’m not his joy, peace, life, and confidence either! Although our relationship is full of all of those things, we both have realized that it’s not US. It must be something and someone greater. It must be supernatural. It must be our first love, Jesus, in one another drawing us to Himself. One of the greatest things I’ve discovered in the last year is that love is consistent no matter where it’s found, if it’s true love.  The world will try to give love many different definitions and attributes, but God defined love once and for all.

Love can never be redefined.

The point I want to make is that Clayton could never fully satisfy me on his own. If I put all of my hope in Clayton’s love for me, although I know it is true, I recognize that he is human. There is a greater love that lives in Clayton. His name is Jesus, and He is the only one who can truly satisfy my soul. I love spending time with Clayton, but what makes spending time with Clayton so sweet is when we both spend time with our Jesus. Our first love. I love hearing Clayton say my name, but I NEED to hear my Father say my name. I need to hear His voice and lean back into His arms. This not only satisfies my soul, but I believe it makes me a better fiancé, and soon to be wife. If I tried to love Clayton out of my own strength and idea of love, I would fail every time.  But is it God’s love and strength that makes loving Clayton effortless.

What I’ve found and seen is that God is the source and the key to a love that isn’t of this world.  God’s design for love and relationship is so much better than this world will ever tell us it is. Love is Jesus, and when two people allow Jesus to satisfy their every need, they will experience a satisfying relationship. The world will tell you it’s physical attraction that drives a relationship and to make sure your partner is satisfying all your needs. But as your friend I want to tell you that no person could ever or will ever satisfy all your needs. No person was or is meant to do that.

There was a season of my life when I was in a relationship that I didn’t have peace about, that I discovered this to be true. No matter how hard I tried to create peace, it didn’t work. No matter how much I tried to satisfy, or be satisfied by the relationship, it didn’t work. But the minute I let go and let Jesus satisfy my heart’s desires everything changed. The fruit of His spirit became my new definition of love and my resting place.

When I let go, I thought I was losing everything. But I soon discovered that in letting go, I was gaining everything. His love completely redeemed my understanding of love and relationship. I never knew it could be this good.  I never knew “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control” like this before. Everything became new and every thought had been redeemed.

I want to encourage you friend to listen to Him say your name. Let His voice remind you who you are and whose you are. There is no greater relational status than being loved by Jesus. He is the one we need and the only one that can show us what real love is. Let Him love you today and find yourself wrapped up in His faithfulness! Hear Him say your name and woo you to Himself.  I promise you He’s willing and He’s waiting to be everything You need Him to be.

Laney Redmon is a lover of Jesus who loves sharing about what He has done in her life. Whether it’s through writing blogs, music, or designing clothes, Laney’s prayer is that it would always remind people of how loved they are by HIM.

Check out Laney’s brand new study, available on LO Fam!

Follow Laney on Instagram @LaneyRedmon