John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
I am always moved by the instantaneous love of Christians. And humbled by how far I need to go in my own love for others. I'm slow to bond, you might say. I take approximately 12 years to warm up. I don't have tons of friends. I am rarely lonely and you may have heard that I am not so great at talking on the phone or keeping in touch.
Yet I have been on the receiving end of love that I would call nothing short of God-inspired. People whose friendship I've not "earned" express their devotion to me time and time again; reminding me to love better myself.
When I started my job three years ago, I was again reminded of God in the way my new co-workers embraced me. They cheered me on encouraging me as I panicked about taking the state nursing boards. They taught me patiently and celebrated my new license when I finally passed my boards. God loving me in mortal flesh.
Today again I witnessed the uncommon love of Christ leaving me in tears. Two friends of mine, both dear to me crossed my path. One by e mail and one by phone. Each expressed her great love for and desire to spend time with the other one. To encourage each other and to just love one another. Myself in the middle basking in such love.
Lord, teach me to love that way.
5 comments:
I'm loving on you so much right now that I thought I'd warn you ... my latest post is not for the week of stomach ;)
Friends are Friends, forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a Friend will not say Never
Cause the welcome does not end
A lifetime's not too long
To live as Friends!
Michael W. Smith
I love you, Sara
...to everything...helllllooo
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." -I Corinthians 13
Every time I read that chapter, I am humbled and sometimes filled with guilt at my lack in loving the way that the Lord wants me to love. I have so far to go as a Christian. May we all love others as God loves us. A very difficult thing to do at times!
friends are a hard commodity for me to come by also...but the ones I have ...what treasures!
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