I have been visiting the old home place, building memories with my nephews and nieces, and one day a simple scene unfolded.
6:30 dinner time; three pairs of bare feet sitting around the table; dirt stained faces; semi washed hands by youthful attempts; Jack's head on my left arm resting from a long day of play; Bear on my right trying to conquer a mountainous triangle of watermelon; laughter all around pertaining to growing watermelon out of ears from the seeds. I was reminded:
This is love.
Love is found in the simple.
Love is taking time to be.
In the new testament it says that God is love and that "no one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (I John 4:12) I have always respected the man who wrote the first and second letters of John. His grasp on what love means and how to apply that love in action, leaves me with a desire live a life worthy of intentional love.
God has many names and I think one of my favorites is Emanuel: God with us. By the simple act of love, we convey a message that people are worthy, desired, heard, important... and that, for me, is one of the biggest ways I see Emanuel.
I want to love and love well. Do I succeed every time? Of course not. But perfection isn't my goal. I want my nephews and nieces to know that people are messy, life can be hard, but love can be simple -- love can be everyday.
We are: Loved and Loving
6:30 dinner time; three pairs of bare feet sitting around the table; dirt stained faces; semi washed hands by youthful attempts; Jack's head on my left arm resting from a long day of play; Bear on my right trying to conquer a mountainous triangle of watermelon; laughter all around pertaining to growing watermelon out of ears from the seeds. I was reminded:
This is love.
Love is found in the simple.
Love is taking time to be.
In the new testament it says that God is love and that "no one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (I John 4:12) I have always respected the man who wrote the first and second letters of John. His grasp on what love means and how to apply that love in action, leaves me with a desire live a life worthy of intentional love.
God has many names and I think one of my favorites is Emanuel: God with us. By the simple act of love, we convey a message that people are worthy, desired, heard, important... and that, for me, is one of the biggest ways I see Emanuel.
I want to love and love well. Do I succeed every time? Of course not. But perfection isn't my goal. I want my nephews and nieces to know that people are messy, life can be hard, but love can be simple -- love can be everyday.
We are: Loved and Loving
