I don't know how to share this. Some things are difficult to articulate, especially the things that are so simple that they are easily missed. I am being drawn back to love. Again and again. I changed my video bar to include Heidi Baker because God keeps reminding me of something she said that I knew was straight from His heart: "Just love the one in front of you."
It's too easy to find reasons to reject. We all have plenty of flaws! Have you ever looked down on someone because they thought they were better than other people? Have you ever rejected someone for not being loving enough? See the irony... no wait... the hypocricy in that? Like I said, we all have plenty of flaws.
If acceptance is grace, rejection is ungrace. That's probably not a word, but it sounds appropriately distasteful.
God keeps telling me that there is already plenty of rejection to go around, I don't need to add my bit to that pile of dung.
'Just love the one in front of you,' He says.
Some days, that's my teething and cranky toddler. Some days, it's my disapproving mother-in-law. Some days, it's a timid and insecure co-worker. Some days, it's a soft-spoken "person who lives outside" (other days, it's been a mentally ill one that called me the worst curse names you can think of). Some days, it's my friendly-but-don't-get-too-close single-mom neighbor, or my Spanish-only elderly neighbors, one of which is fighting cancer (as reported by her bilingual son). Some days, it's another parent on the playground, or the cashier at the grocery store who's carding me just because they believe drinking wine is a sin (I live in a very religious town where it's illegal to even buy alcohol on Sundays - go figure, life is weird). Anyway, on some days, it's a friend who thinks I should be doing something different than what I'm doing. Some days, it's a friend that exhorts me to keep doing what I'm doing. On special days, it's my jaded, broken and wounded big sister. Ok, you get the point.
Every day, I have this totally cool opportunity to be a vessel of God's very love for anyone who happens to come across my path that day. The coolest part about it is that it isn't even about my love. I've started to pray each morning for His love for each one I'll be with that day. Some people are naturally easier to love than others, when I'm operating in the realm of my own love. But His love is endless! I hope it grows in and through me as a result of this practice...
"Just love the one in front of you." John 15:12
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Practicing Love
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11 comments:
Beautiful post Sarah. I think that "ungrace" is a great word to describe rejection.
Sarah,
This post reminds me of a bit of revelation we got in house church a couple of years ago. 1 Jn. 4 (the whole chapter) is a spectacular look at love, but verse 12 stood out to us:
"...if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."
We saw that the word perfected means "completed". Looking at that in the context of the rest of the chapter, I saw a picture of an electrical circuit with three connections: God, me(us) and "one another". If all the connection is just between us and God, it's like the circuit isn't complete. When we add "loving others" into the circuit, it is completed, and the current can flow. Just a picture that helps me understand this concept.
Great post. Thanks.
And some days it really is just that simple. Thanks
Grace, thanks - just getting creative with the language. :)
Jeff, Now that I think about it, the quote I used from Heidi was in the context of her preaching from that exact passage. Thanks for the analogy, that helps!
Barb, ya - simple. Kind of childlike simplicity. :)
thank you sarah
WONDERFUL and simple
today He told me "just let go" and i felt it kindof like you were saying it "let go and love" and don't worry.
even just you listing all the different potential people to love (that i can relate with) was a blessing.....
thanks for this post!!!
YOU are a blessing!
Reminded me of the intolerance of folks that preach tolerance.. they can tolerate most anyone - except an intolerant person :)
I guess sometimes that is the way I am with believers - I sometimes hold them to a different standard and have a harder time accepting their bad behavior.
I guess that may be why we are sometimes hurt the most by the people who are supposed to love and accept us.
Bek, I'm so glad it spoke to you!
K-Bob, exactly. The human race is so prone to make religion out of everything, even tolerance. And, I relate to holding believers to a different standard. But then, I think I'm coming to realize that this too is folly. Because we are all in different stages of growth and transformation - and if there is no space for mistakes and failure and immaturity, then there's no grace. And that makes me the immature one, doesn't it? Since it really is about love, and love always is gracious.
As to your statement, "I guess that may be why we are sometimes hurt the most by the people who are supposed to love and accept us." That's true. Perhaps the problem is our expectations on people. I find it really interesting the scripture that said Jesus didn't entrust His heart to men, because he knew what was in them. I think sometimes we look to people (fellow believers) to fill a need for love and acceptance that only the Father can fill. That's kind of a recipe for disaster...
Man Sarah,
That is pretty simple & very cool (I just like to say cool a lot I guess.
What I find so interesting is that this love thing is almost exactly what I feel God told me a short time ago concerning my marriage and family situation(Still not in very good shape).
*I* want to strike out or to be cold or defensive in my current situation.
I find myself formulating my courses of action in response to what might happen or what another involved party might do.
But, God said for me to love. Jesus told me to wait and just love.
Not much has changed except for my ability to enjoy the good things I do have.
I still hope for a favorable outcome(for one that I don't end up divorced, AGAIN!)And I can't help that.
I like to avoid pain if I can.
But,
I also can't help but think that through this trial, something is changing in me and hopefully I won't blow it all as I have done in the past.
I often times can't even make myself pray the way I feel I should
but I cling desperately to Romans 8:28 ..
That is all I can do. Oh, and there is that love thing too..
Peace, and God bless
Shaun, I really hope it all works out for you. God knows how to work in every situation...
Cool post. It's so simple, but very true. Not always easy for me, or I guess it's easier for me in life's ruts to get complacent. Overlook and forget what we should be like.
Cheers.
Nathan, thanks for your comments. I know where you're coming from. I hope no one takes this post as a "Do better" type thing.
One thing that made a huge difference for me was when God began to show me that I *am* a ministry, rather than it being something I do. It was a shift in how I understood ministry: not so much about the intentional times of "outreach" or "service" or whatever, but the everyday interactions I have with people in my everyday life. What ministers to them is the presence of Jesus in me. (What a relief!)
This kind of set me free, and quite honestly, I don't have to try so hard anymore (as I did when I defined ministry as an outreach and service type thing, which ended up feeling more contrived than natural)! :P
But I still am growing in being conscious to choose to love (especially when it isn't my first inclination in certain situations).
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