Love.

I can't quote scripture. & trying to read the Bible intimidates me & sometimes overwhelms me. Am I a "bad Christian"? Nope. I still absorb the message. I still know what's expected of me.

So we come to L-O-V-E. I am trying to live this. I have prayed to let go of the past. Not only forgive those who have wronged me, or that I instinctually don't like, but to put LOVE in my heart for them. Genuine love. At first I only prayed to not dislike/hate them. I told myself that it was ok to forgive but that didn't mean I had to like them. But that's not gonna cut it. Like I said, I can't quote scripture, but I know what the Bible says. It says love is the greatest of all the commands, demands & expectations of our Father.

Sometimes it's my love for another that fuels it. My love for my future step-son pushes me to pray for love for his mother, who seems to be wandering right now, with no clear direction. If I can manage to bridge that gap from negative to positive feelings for his mother & her family, it not only serves this little boy that I love as my own but it honors him & God. It shows him that what he needs is more important to me than how I feel towards his mother. This I feel is a big part of love....caring more for what the other person needs from you than whet you need from them. If everybody thought that way then love would be easier.

There has been an issue very heavy on my heart lately. It's been pressing at me for years honestly, but I just ignore it. Please don't ask what it is or assume its about you. At this point it's between me & God until He helps me see what to do. At the heart of this issue is Gods command to love. When there is hate in the heart like there is in this situation, it puts up a wall between you & God. The Bible clearly states that if you do not love your fellow man then you do not love Him. This hits me hard. So I pray for it. I want to honor God. It may take time & a lot of work to get there but it is always a work in progress to be more like Jesus. & I want to keep striving.

I feel like I'm rambling & jumping around so I'll end with this....

LOVE EVERYBODY. Love the ones who have hurt you, who are lost, who are broken. Extend your hand & open your heart. Don't focus on society, make it about God. Do the right thing. Hate will lead to distance between you & God & that leads to no eternal life with our God. To love without restriction, regardless of situation is to be more like Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God so the more you love, the closer you are.