What a loaded word that is. It can have so many meanings to each person. It can be a cheap expression. It can be a treasured feeling. It can be a lie. It can be an action… and so on. Love. The kind of love God aspires us to exhibit is most definitely a choice. The kind of love God has for us is truly astounding. Despite the choices we make, He still loves us no matter what. In a conversation with someone this past week, this kind of love came up – the unconditional kind. As humans, this love certainly is not what pops up in our hearts the moment something happens to us. If it does for you, God has made you quite different than me. Over the last 5 years that God has been the Savior of my life, He has been teaching me many things. Among those countless flaws that God is patiently correcting in me is loving those around me no matter what.
Over this past week, through the series that our church is going through together, God has already tested me. Just 6 days into learning about Love, a situation arose that caused God to have to tug on my heart harder than I wish to admit that He did. I certainly had valid reasons for wanting to just be selfish this weekend. Or so I thought they were valid. Wanting to relax after working multiple jobs this week, wanting to see my husband, and needing to go grocery shopping sounded perfectly reasonable to me. But God thought otherwise. And He of course was right. After making the choice to do this thing, and then making the choice to have the right attitude, I know that God used me this morning to show love in this situation. Even if it had to be done with God poking and prodding my heart, I need to learn. And that has been the cry of my heart since the series started, even though I never expected to have to put it into practice so soon and that it would be so difficult for me.
Thankfully, God loves me through my stubborn learning. What a merciful God I serve. I have a long way to go in learning about love…. Lord, Help.
