When people love you they want the best for you. They are behind you. They encourage you, fight for you, do not let you give excuses. When people love you out of their love for Jesus it is unconditional. It is full. It is hope-full. It is joy-full.
Recently I have had the experience of being loved well. Hard love. Good love. But you know what, it’s easy to get scared of love. To hear lies of not being worthwhile. To want to hide when you do not feel lovable or have not behaved in ways that are lovely. You know what else? Love walks through hard things. Crushes lies. Picks you up when you have fallen. Surround you so that you cannot harm yourself or others.
The good news of the of the Gospel is we are washed, and loved completely yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Jesus wants my best. So he will put people in your life to be light and salt and point you out when you are not.
What do we do with this knowledge?
• Press into friendships
• Go to people when you are sad
• Go to people in your succcesses
• Allow yourself to be known – vulnerability begets vulnerability
• When you do not feel yourself ask them to remind you of truth
• Allow yourself to trust – no matter how hard it is – love flourishes in trust
• Confess
• Care about them in return
I am thankful for old and new relationships; those who I am making through this World Race journey and those who are currently walking along side of me and have been through the years. People have a way of claiming pieces of your heart through the love they give, both near and far. Let them, savor it. And today, be encouraged that we will not always get it right, but grace abounds, and today is a new day.
