I want to start by thanking everyone that reads and comments on my blogs. I really appreciate all of the prayers and compliments. I should warn you that this blog isn't really about ministry. It is just some thoughts God has given me to share at this moment in our debrief here at the beach in El Salvador!
I wish I could say I took this picture…but I didn't. I just enjoy it and it goes along with the blog and where we are staying now at the beach.
Lately the concept of love has been consuming almost all aspects of my life. The World Race is all about practicing the notion of true love. We must love The Lord, love the countries we visit, love each other, love the people we meet, and love those back at home all at the same time. It makes me wonder how much my love supply can handle before it is completely depleted. It makes me wonder how I can remember to take care of myself when all I need to be doing is spreading the love of Jesus to others. Then I think about where the love comes from: God. There is no way I can pour myself into so many people and things on my own strength. If I tried to do this alone, I wouldn’t make it past month one without feeling completely drained and useless. Even the most kind-hearted, loving person, couldn’t survive without guidance from the ultimate lover of our souls.
Love is a choice and we have to choose to let God show his love through us. It is not about how noble we are when we love our enemies, or choose to respect those we do not understand or get along with. It is about how God can change us so that we want to love those that are irritating to us and those the world sees as unlovable. It is something that cannot be explained when we look at humanity. Love is hard. Real love that surpasses all judgments and shortcomings is almost impossible.
The Bible says, that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us our strength, but I wonder how many of us actually believe that. How many of us feel that God can give us strength to appreciate those we can’t stand. Or to forget about our massive migraine when a baby is screaming and needs to be held. What I have learned is that it is a process. We aren’t going to instantly see others through God’s eyes, because we are still human. We have to work on it everyday, and it may even take our whole lives. But the process is so worth it. It is in the process that we come face to face with our Maker, even if sometimes we only catch a glimpse. It is in the process that we start to look more like Him, even though we still resemble ourselves. We will fail at it all the time, but others will see the love God has for them in the times we succeed. I am so blessed to be apart of this process.
