Love

It’s hard to blog during a pandemic. I should say it’s hard for me to blog right now.

Believe me when I say I have plenty of opinions and thoughts and ideas I could share. However, it seems that there are many folks sharing their opinions and then plenty others shouting those down with their own.

When it comes to any of the issues that have consumed our current culture, I can’t tell you anything you haven’t already heard and acknowledged or dismissed.

But it’s the week of Valentines and I CAN share this beautiful thought with you! And I can confirm that the Holy Spirit has been reminding my heart to take these words seriously, and seriously enough to put them Into practice.

from I Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

When’s the last time I looked a Christian brother or sister in the eye, with whom I disagreed, and chose to believe the best about them instead of vilifying them in my heart?
Have I taken the opportunity to stir up hope, rather than fear and grief?
Do I answer misunderstanding with arrogance and pride when I should offer a humble response?

How do I survive the disagreements, the uncertainty, the loss and the frustration?
LOVE.

And I don’t mean the Hallmark-ish, puppy love featured in our society, especially this time of year. I mean the dig-in-deep, ICorinthians 13, belief-filled, hope-stirring, persevering, Holy Spirit kind of love.

I pray that I, who have been given a most deep, gracious and abiding LOVE, will show it to others more thoroughly and consistently.
Heavenly Father, make it so!
amen.