The one.
He’s the one that welcomes me with open arms. He’s the one that smiles when he sees me walking toward him. He’s the one that teaches children to follow Jesus. He’s the one who takes them and sets them on his shoulders. He’s the one who kisses me on the cheek every time he sees me, no matter how long it’s been. He’s the one who taught me to look in someone’s eyes rather than at their lack of clothes. He’s the one who helped me see the beauty in the lost and broken. He’s the one that, without knowing it, gave me a love for people.
Gino.
My first encounter with Gino was unforgettable. He gave me the most sincere hug, as if he had known me my entire life. 6 years ago, I met a man that would forever be dear to my heart.
I could tell his love language was touch. Whenever I would see him I received a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. He would wink at me before he left and tell me he loved me. He barely knew me.
Gino was the one that held the school and mall together. He made sure that the rules were followed and love was being exchanged to the people who came through. You were only allowed to take a certain amount of things during a certain period of time. The mall would be organized in shelves and then open to the people for a short time before it would shut the doors and do it all over again. We usually went in the summer so school was never in session, but one year, our project was to transform the school. Organize, paint, stain floors, rearrange, anything it needed we did. Gino’s face when he came into that school was absolutely priceless. He was overcome with joy and I could see it flowing out of his eyes. He had a joy, a happiness, a love about him that I never really understood. I just knew that he loved me. And he didn’t really know me.
Gino was amazing. His love was evident for every single person he encountered. That’s the kind of love I want. Gino drew me in and while doing so, always kept his eyes on God.
Gino was the one that showed me love.
He did not know anything about me but the fact that I was a child of the living God. That was all that mattered to him. And he loved me. He loved me so dearly.
Sometimes it’s easy to love someone when you barely know them, but the real challenge, is wanting to know everything about them and still loving them for everything they are. Once Gino knew me, he never stopped loving me.
Isn’t it interesting that the one who knows everything about us down to the number of hairs on our head, still loves us and wants a relationship with us. He continues to pursue us no matter how many times we push Him away and reject Him. He loves us. Jesus loves you. He wants to romance you. He wants to take you in His arms, He wants to kiss you on the cheek, He wants to smile at you, He wants to make you happy, He wants to take you on an adventure. Go with Him. He will always be there. He is waiting for you to say “Yes, Lord, I will dance with you, to the song you wrote just for me.” Say yes to The One who loves you unconditionally!
With love,
Ariel
