Monday, July 28, 2008

Teach Me Love

Early in the summer I asked the Lord, “teach me Love”.
I was reading the
“To Write Love on Her Arms” story and
Love is a main part of their message.
“Love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions
God works in Love, speaks in Love, is revealed in our Love
We are only asked to Love…
We were made to be Lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again…”
I want this to be embedded in me. How do I Love like the Lord? How do I truly, sincerely Love?

My answer was, “Let the little children come to me…the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14) Odd answer but ok.

The Lord knew what He was doing.
He placed 120 children in my hands during July at the camp I worked.
(don't worry-there were other counselors and the children rotated)
I got my fill of ‘little children’. One child was Robbie.

Robbie is outgoing and as friendly as can be. A smile is a fixed on his face flowing out from the depths of his heart.
He truly Loves.
Everyday Robbie would offer the counselors half of his lunch and when I would say No, his face would become desperate and he’d say “Heather, please.” He had to give me something.
He had to offer me Love.

One day Robbie went up to another counselor asking the counselor to make a paper airplane. The counselor crumpled up Robbie’s paper and threw it into the garbage. Robbie walked away, smiling, got another paper and asked someone else. Five minutes later, Robbie comes up to the same counselor and holds his hand. The counselor pulls his hand away. Robbie takes another persons hand.

Over the next few days I still saw Robbie pouring out Love on the counselor and the counselor still rejecting it. I couldn’t understand why Robbie wouldn’t just ignore this counselor.
Why was he wasting Love on this person?
But Robbie didn‘t see it as wasting Love.
He was sincerely Loving the unlovely.
He had to offer Love. Robbie kept pouring Love out, even though he got nothing in return.
“Love is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

The last day of camp I witnessed what was hard for me to comprehend. The counselor was standing with Robbie at his side, arms wrapped around each other. They sat together, walked together, ate together. This was the same counselor who took Robbies "to be" paper airplane and threw it in the garbage. It was a miracle.
The miracle of Love.
Love changes a person.
I saw it.

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains,
but have not Love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Let's be something...somebodies.
Let's love the unlovely.
It is so hard and seems impossible at times.
But with God, all things are possible.
Love them like Jesus.
Pour it out.
That's all were asked to do.

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