If you haven't noticed, I've been kinda stuck on the word love lately. what it means, what it does and how on earth to do it.
I do know one thing: I get tired of loving. Tired of loving the picky client, tired of loving the people who used to love me back and tired of loving with no boundaries. Sometimes love is doing something big and bold like saving someone's life and sometimes it's just sending a text to a girl from church who you know had a rough day.
I do know another thing: I am a wreck. On my own, I'm probably one of the most unloving people you've ever met. I think things I shouldn't and then I say those things without thinking. I can be mean and sometimes I wish I could catch all my harsh words and shove them back into my mouth. But I can't.
The last thing I know: I really, really need Jesus. Some of you people probably think I'm a nice person and all. The secret is, I wouldn't be who I am without the Lord. I have this never ending goal of being to love people recklessly and endlessly. And I have to ask Jesus to help me fulfill that goal every single day. When I don't . . . well, I fail and things get messy.
All I can do from here is look up and ask for help (fyi I am that kinda person who despises asking for help so that's hard too). Without Jesus's help I get nowhere. But with his help, I have the ability to practice real love. Real love that forgives; real love that puts up with the little annoyances of life; real love that never ends.
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." -- C.S. Lewis
a visiting pastor preached on that yesterday... one thing that stuck with me was that love is an action, and if we're inactive, it's revenge. hate. It's not enough to be NOT angry with someone. and gosh, love is HARD.
ReplyDeleteI remember having a conversation with my mom about a girl who I was having difficulty loving...she calls those sorts of people "character builders". It's true though. Like you said, I think it reveals how much we need Christ in our lives to help us love those around us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder.
What an inspiring post, and your photos are lovely. Thank you so much for sharing.
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