I think I’m beginning to learn a new lesson. Learning lessons usually isn’t the funniest thing we can pick in the book but it’s necessary to grow. Let me repeat that;
Necessary.
I’ve always been one to sweep feelings, emotions under the rug. If someone disagreed, rubbed me the wrong way, or I just didn’t get them I swept it under the rug.
The Race is bringing a lot of these things to light. Let me rephrase that, God is bringing a lot of these things to light. The Race is something we, as Racers, attribute a lot of what is happening around us to. I’m guilty as well but all the things we are going through are a direct result of us saying yes to a year of God uninhibited; a year away from our “normal” lives in which we’ve said yes to everything new and blessed God has to offer.
Ephesians 5: 13
“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”
Anyway, I am learning that love is hard but one of the most beautiful things we have on this earth. I’ve so many things over the past few months I’ve seen and done that I never expected myself to do. Love can’t always be defined with words in my opinion, it’s defined by actions more often. Love is a lot of thingsand it’s true meaning I will always be searching for.
Love is changing a poopy diaper with no baby wipes
Love is piling 12 people in a truck bed with overnight packs to bring Jesus to a church 3hrs away
Love is reading a book aloud 5x in a row
Love is dropping whatever your doing to pray for a friend or even to scratch their back
Love is going on a walk with someone even though you don’t want to move
Love is sharing snacks
Love is pursuing someone even when then are making wrong choices and don’t even want you to be around
Love is constructive feedback
Love is putting a cold rag on a sick friends neck while they sleep
Love is communicating with others even without speaking the same language
Love is giving away a new bracelet you just bought two days earlier to a new friend
Love is letting someone cry and get snot all over your bed, just so they can feel better
Love is letting someone know when your are so barking mad at them you’re shaking; but still giving them a hug at the end of the conversation
Love is opening up your house to 7-14 people to stay for a month
Love is singing about Jesus even when you’ve lost your voice from being sick
Love is having two children of your own then adopting 6 more orphans
Love is caring for the sick when they have nothing to offer back to you
Love is lying on an airport floor crying together with a friend
Love is sacrifice
Love is triumph
Love is dying on a cross to save your friends
Love is hard and love is beautiful
It’s not something that we can chase after and hope to achieve. Love falls in our lap everyday and it’s our choice to love, be loved, or simply ignore and miss out on.
The examples above are not all things I’ve done but some that I’ve seen and have experienced. They all come with their own story of difficulty and sacrifice but in the end they all are beautiful examples of love.
I’m not exactly sure why I’ve begun to recognize all of these things as love but I do know one thing; God is surely opening my eyes to how hard love can be, in the best way possible. With each example I become more and more aware of the ultimate way of showing love.
John 15:12-13
[Jesus said] “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: To lay down one’s life for one’s friend.”
I hope you all enjoyed this blog and it brought a little reflection into your own way of showing love! I’m in the middle of month 4 of my Race here in Chiangmai Dao, Thailand; how crazy is it that I’ve made it half way across the world?!
I still have 2.5 months to be fully funded for this adventure. I am still in need of about $4,800 to reach my goal of $16,254. Would you or anyone you know be willing to help prayerfully and/or financially support me on the journey?
Any amount you may be willing to give would help me stay on this journey until the very end! Thank you to everyone who has helped! It has been amazing so far and I’m still stoked for more.
