Love

“Love” is tossed around a lot now (“I love those shoes”), and even one of the most important phrases in the world, “I love you,” is used so lightly that it seems to now mean, “I like you a lot right now, but I might change my mind later.” This is a rather cynical view of humanity, but it is the view, world-view if you will, of most of the media. Think of all the chick flicks that you’ve watched, and think about what they show “love” to be. Think seriously about it for a bit. How did the “in love” people treat each other? How did they treat other people? Compare that to this quotation.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking [self-centered], it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV.

The media has misused, warped, and distorted LOVE into something completely opposite from what it truly is. LOVE will protect, no matter what the cost for it will be; it will trust, even when that trust has been broken; it will always hope for the best, even when the person that it loves seems like a failure; LOVE will never give up or let others down. That is the true meaning of LOVE; that is the love our Heavenly Father gives us, even though we don’t deserve it and completely screw up. This is the love that we need to show everyone; this is mercy and grace. This is the gift that God has given to us, and the media has poisoned it!

The only “chick flicks” that I can think of that show even a small part of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a are: Pride and Prejudice; Enchanted; The Princess Bride; Beauty and the Beast; Sleeping Beauty. It’s kinda funny, in a very ironic way, that fairy tales and novels written in the 1800’s show “true love” better than modern movies.

LOVE isn’t restricted only to romances. “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 NIV. Movies in which someone is willing to die for someone else are also a picture of “true love,” the ultimate sacrifice. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Lord of the Rings; A Tale of Two Cities. These all have one thing in common: someone, or several people, love their friends enough to die for them. Just like what Jesus did for us.

No matter what angle you look at it, LOVE always, always points back to Jesus. Relationships are all about sacrifice. You give your time to someone that you care about; you put their needs first; you don’t give up on them; you’re always there. Sounds like a hard job? Well, it is. But being able to follow 1Corinthians 13:4-8a and John 15:13 in all of your friendships truly shows God’s love to a dark and hurting world.

 ~Hannah Diaz~

Never alone

There are people in your life you have to hold on to, people you just have to let go, and people that you just can’t seem to let go of. I don’t think you should ever let go of anyone. At one point in their life you were something great to them, whether they want to admit it or not. Then there are those people who take you for granted and those are the ones you don’t need. I am strong and don’t need anyone to hold me up in life. If I need something or someone to talk to, I run to the person that I know will never leave me, and that is God. He is that one person that sometimes I take for granted but in the end I realize he is there to help me. He has made me who I am today, a strong woman. He has told me to not care what others think, he taught me sometimes all a person ever needs from you is someone to care, and he taught me how to know when to keep pushing. He is my life and I would never give him up for anything. I don’t need a man to make me strong or to keep me going in life. If in the end I end up alone, well I will never truly be alone I will always have god and that is the only acceptance I will ever need.

 

~Kara Lambiase~

 

What really matters?

You can always tell what really matters to someone by what really upsets them. For instance, you’ve probably never seen a man devastated because he is losing the hair on his knuckles. However, we see men every day who go to great lengths to hide the fact that they are loosing the hair on their head. Rarely will you find someone distraught due to a successful, fulfilling  relationship. However, we see many people depressed, lost,  or at the point of suicide due to an intense breakup. One might believe the man is emotionally connected to a full head of hair but I would argue that point. Perhaps the hair is merely symbolic of his youth which is quickly transforming into old age. This only brings into full picture the fact that life is moving forward with or without his permission. It is also safe to assume that in a terrible breakup, the loss of a true companion is painful; however, it pales in comparison to the feeling of being rejected. Having said this, what really matters to you? Or better said, what really upsets you?  It is so easy in life to find ourselves motivated by selfish factors; relationships, financial stability, success, sexual gratification, or even hair loss. But in the end, what really matters? In this life, in relation to the people we influence, lead, follow, love, hate, what really matters? What are the things that really tick us off? What are the circumstances that drive us? How far will we go to avoid being rejected? What words will we shout because of hate. What really matters? There are two times in the scriptures where we see the raw essence of a savior. The First is found in Matt 21:12. Here Jesus, in what seemed to be a fit of rage, stormed into the temple and overturned tables of the money lenders and vendors. At some point these men had forgotten what really mattered and had pursued their own greed. It frustrated Jesus to the point of action. In this moment of anger, he became a savior to some men who needed one. The second is found in John 8. Here Jesus has a naked woman who had been caught in adultery, thrown at his feet. The scriptures say that her accusers, filled with anger,  were waiting to stone the woman to death. Jesus muttered a few words,  silenced the crowd, and became a savior to a woman who needed one. How many trivial things do we make huge? How many huge things do we make trivial? Is it possible that at times we get off track and forget about what is really important, what really matters? Perhaps there is a lesson learned in the life of a Savior. Perhaps some things should tick us off, and some things should hurt, but what is the reasoning or motive behind it? Are we upset because we are losing our hair, or because we’re growing old and don’t want to admit it? Or are we depressed because we lost someone we loved or because we feel rejected? You can always tell what really matters to someone by what really upsets them.   

The prodigal

Have you ever felt overwhelmingly isolated?

In the midst of a crowd, yet isolated.

As though the whole world is moving without me.

As though no one understands who I am.

Left with a feeling of worthlessness.

We recognize these moments at different times. Perhaps in the midst of school, work, friends, or social outings and in a moment we realize that people are not who they say they are. This only reassures us of our own feelings of worthlessness Perhaps it’s after the party or football game and we hope that no one ever discovers who we really are. Which again only reassures our feelings of worthlessness. Perhaps it’s when your parents/boss scream at you again, and the words pierce you to the core…again.

   If we explore how we arrive at this point of Isolation, we’ll discover numerous reasons. Perhaps someone in our lives did something, or made a decision that led to our current situation. Perhaps we’ve made choices that snowball us into the hell in which we now live. Perhaps we’ve never felt as though we even had a chance. Never the less we still find ourselves in a place of isolation. Hoping no one, or praying someone will discover our secret and take us to a place of rest, peace, and hope.

We read of a boy who finds himself in a similar situation.

Luke 15:11

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need….

     17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

    This young man experienced the greatest feeling of Isolation. He had gained everything and lost everything. He found himself feeding foul of the earth. Can you imagine the thoughts that coerced through his head? 

   How did I get here? I am a failure? Does anyone know I’m alive? Would anyone care if I died? My Father Will hate me. My own family must be embarrassed. I hate my life.

   Like so many of us he was here because the decisions he made cleared a path for disaster. He was the creator of his own demise. No one was to blame but himself. What I love about this kid is that he didn’t wallow in self pity. He didn’t start the blame game, and he didn’t stay in the midst of the hell he created.

He wanted out of his Isolated world. 

   He ran back to his father. Pride and arrogance extracted due to his time of isolation.  Begging to be forgiven and received as one unworthy of the family name. Hoping only to be accepted as a servant, a butler, or a slave. Expecting to be rejected, he was forgiven, sins forgotten, received into the family and restored as son. 

Next time you have the feeling of Isolation, as if your life is no longer relevant, run.

Run back to the Father. 

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