Something I read this morning has got me thinking pretty hard.
“Hope and faith will both come to an end when we die. But love will remain. Love is eternal. Love comes from God and returns to God. When we die, we will lose everything that life gave us except love. The love with which we lived our lives is the life of God within us. It is the divine, indestructible core of our being.”
-Henry Nouwen
“The love with which we lived our lives is the love of God within us.”
Dude! That is gonna be my thought for the day. When you find yourself today in the same place you’ve been where you’re irritated or frustrated and angry, stop yourself before you speak. Think about the truth that God does indeed love this person with whom you are troubled, and if He loves YOU enough to forgive you of your screw ups, He must love this person too and therefore, wait for it, therefore, YOU CAN LOVE THIS PERSON TOO. Love on that person. Have compassion for them that if they are being so difficult that there must be something terribly wrong in their lives and they are struggling to deal with it. Maybe they don’t know about God’s great love. Maybe they are just hurting. I am a total screw up and undeserving of forgiveness and grace. And yet, God seems bent on giving it to me anyway. Perhaps I can be love to someone else today who probably doesn’t deserve it either. Stop yourself and love on this person. Allow God’s love to activate through you.
I pray today, Father, that I can get out of the way and let Your Truth and Love be undeniable to anyone whom I encounter. Praise You God! Thank You for my life!