Monday, August 20, 2012

Live Love.

Love them to Jesus. 
Johnathan panics when he gets tired. Weary of exploring his world, his baby eyes focus on my face. Four months of life have taught him to recognize me, to search me out in a group of people, to whimper when he wants me. He trusts me. In time, he will love me.

A man in my neighborhood is sad. Bitterness, betrayal and a lifetime of disappointments have hardened him. He believes he has never been loved. Old age has been teaching him that he will die unloved. 

Frequently I encourage people to love others, to be patient and kind and good to others. How are they supposed to do this unless I first tell them they are loved? Max Lucado has written that it is like asking them to write a check before a deposit has been made. 

Unlike Johnathan, a few months has not been enough time for my neighbor to trust me. But I tell him I love him through my actions and my words. He thinks I'm a little strange at times and laughs at me, but then, I'm sure Johnathan wonders about me sometimes, too.