#2. Love

When John and I were thinking up these topics to write about we had just left Abilene headed home.  It was so hard telling John Carol and Kalyn good bye and leaving them.  When we mentioned "love" we were both thinking of our love for these two kids. In my eyes I am blessed with the two greatest kids ever and the love for them runs deep. As does my love for my dear husband.

Now several years later I have learned new "loves".  At that time I did not know that when I got "in-laws" I was going to fall so deeply in love with them.  Even though I did not give birth to them or raise them I am very protective of them.  I want to care for them.  I love cooking for them, folding their laundry - just anything to show them I truly love them as my own.

Then came the grand-babies. Wow. Another "love". What I find so special about them is how they love.   They love me just the way I am.  They do not care how I look, how I dress, what kind of house I live in, what kind of car I drive.  They do not care which church building I walk into on Sunday morning or what party I vote for.  They just love me - just the way I am. No wonder Jesus loved children!  And I love them just the way they are.  They are so special.

I love my friends, my church family and my customers at work.  They are all special in one way or another and fill a place in my heart.

It is easy to love.

Or is it?

One day in Bible class we were discussing love and I was really thinking on it.  In church I wrote a note.  I wrote, "I think it is easy to love - love God, love family, love everyone in Menard.  In Bible class I think we tend to think we are really good at loving - but are we?  Do we love our enemies? Do we love others who are different from us? Do we love leaders in office if he/she is not the one we voted for? Could I love someone who hurts/kills one of my family members? I think we have a lot of work to do on loving".

Then I handed  it to my right.  His response was, " we are not good at enacting love to a lot of people, including those we just don't respect (the homeless, the poor) and our enemies. I do not think we have to agree with all of these people, but we should treat them well, not cynically.  When we get "freedom from sin" we are usually selfish, happy to have gotten away with our mistakes. But "freedom of sin" is also freedom from the need to sin.  So, because we will be resurrected, we don't need to worry about what someone may do to us and so we can avoid fearing them and killing them and love them instead".


Matthew 5:44 Jesus says "...Love your enemies".  John 15:17 He says, "This is my command: Love each other".

In looking back, I thought I was really good at loving, but now I know I have a lot of work to do.

John 3: 16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son."

Wow, a lot of work.