Wednesday, January 27, 2016

You have one child. You have written one piece of advice that will be carried in his/her pocket for life. What is that advice?


Love
Such a simple word. Four letters. Two vowels. Harmless. But is it?
Love can be displayed, shared, in many different ways. The types of love are endless. But the most important kind of love is Unconditional. The kind of love that God has for each one of His children. We are His children. He loves us. If we can achieve that great love, which we have in rich abundance in embryo, because we are His children, then we can withstand all the trials of life.
Love life. Love your circumstances. Love your blessings. Love the people around you, whether they treat you good or bad. Love your children. Love the sky, sun, moon, and stars. Love the earth, the stable ground beneath your feet and the life it provides. Love the water. Love the air, wind, rain, and snow. Love the simple things, the ones we take for granted.
I once had a dear friend ask me if I loved her. I wondered what I had done wrong. Had I not treated her with respect? Love? Kindness? Stood up for her, when others didn't? She went on to say that I treat everyone the same, and so she couldn't tell if I really loved her.
This was/is really hard for me. I love everyone. I do treat people very similarly. But if you really take the time to get to know me, you will see the subtle differences. I only open up to people I trust. Trust and love are two very different things. Yes, they go hand in hand, but they also can be separated. But I love without constraint. Because I think of Christ, and how He lived His life. Since He was the perfect example of love, and reached out to everyone, especially the down trodden, then how should I live my life? Should I not be loving and kind to everyone? Or should I just be loving to the select few? What would Christ and my Heavenly Father have me do? What would Satan have me do? The choice is simple. Make it today. Will you love? And if not, what is the opposite of love?
By loving others, we see them through different eyes. We see potential. We see goodness. We see who they really are, a child of God. Yes, people do make bad decisions. Yes, people do hurt others with those decisions. Who are we to judge? Are we perfect? Then love.
Yes, I understand that love can be hard, because it makes us vulnerable. But through the vulnerability, we are able to make deep connections, follow in the steps of Christ, and make this life a little better for all those around us. When we love, we are able to see the purpose of life.
And when we fall to our knees, know that Christ and Heavenly Father will always be there to pick us up. Because of love. Love is the answer, not the question.

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