The Anti-Valentine's : Going Beyond One Day

Love drives 5 hours to get to you, just to follow you the 4 hour trip home in case your car breaks down    (which it does--3 hours from home).

Love, in turn, drives a car that might break down (again) so you can drive the more dependable one.

Loves listens to you as your heart is breaking, and holds you.

Love is proud of you when you accomplish something you didn't think you could do.

Love says, "You're beautiful," (and means it) when you've gained a bunch of weight and don't feel beautiful.

Love holds your hand and cheers you on when you're deep in the trenches of childbirth.

Love corrects and encourages you when you mess up.

Love cleans up vomit and holds your daughter's hair when she is sick because you. just. can't.

Love loves you in the mornings when you're grumpy, have crazy hair, and have bad breath.

Love protects you--even from the poor x-ray technician in the ER.

Love is brave on the outside, even when he is crumbling on the inside.

Love strips a major wound on your leg three times a day for two weeks because he doesn't want  anyone else to do it and cause more pain than is necessary--and then cries in the closet afterward because of the pain inflicted.

Love won't let you look at that wound on your leg for two months because he knows the sight of it will freak you out; it's that bad.

Love helps you go to the bathroom and bathes you when your leg is broken and you can't do it all by yourself.

Love cares for a nasty open wound for two months without complaining.

Love tells you the truth about yourself, but then loves you anyway.

Love learns to be patient with you when you develop a paralyzing fear of driving in the rain.

Love laughs with you past the point of your snorting.

Love (by himself) takes a kid to the ER in the middle of the night when the hives are so bad the kid looks like an alien.

Love encourages you in your faith.

Love values your opinion.

Love challenges you to become a better person, but loves you now.

Love gives you a break when your patience with the children is running thin.

Love still takes you on dates--even when it's take-out at home.

Love still surprises you.

Love works past the bumps in the road.

Love protects your heart.

Love puts God first.

"Love is patient and kind…Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

       ~1 Corinthians 13:4a, 7

A Little Note of Encouragement

I wasn't going to tell anyone about this, but once again, God has other plans.  May what I am about to tell you bring Him all the glory.  Let me begin with a story.  I'll try to keep that part short.  I'll try.

I have a few friends, beside my husband, with whom I share my stuff.  They are my people.  These ladies know more about me than most others.  My relationship with each one is unique.  Each relationship is a gift from God.  Each of the three friendships is a living, tangible example of God's love and grace in my life.

One of these precious ladies and I were discussing the idea of community within the local church.  Actually, discussing is really too light a term for those phone calls.  Wrestling.  Agonizing.  Seeking out.  Fervently praying over.  I think those terms give you more accurate descriptions of the conversations.  You see, we -my husband and I- had been in a small group (aka Sunday School class) for about 9-10 months, but we were finding it difficult to connect with many people in the group.  It wasn't that the group was well-established or they weren't welcoming.  We…really I can only speak for myself…I was finding it difficult to move beyond the small talk and really get to know these people.  And just so you know, I  hate  strongly do not like small talk.  It's uncomfortable and awkward and I get super anxious when I am forced into it.  I'd much rather hear about where you come from, what brought you here, what your hobbies are, if you have children.  You know, what's your story?

Anyway, I was personally struggling with how I can make myself available and useful for whatever God had in mind for my role in all that community building.  I was asking how I could help foster a sense of community.  What role could I play that would be honoring to God?  How could I show God's love to those around me?

How could I show God's love to those around me?

What role could I play that would be honoring to God?

The answers to both of these questions came in a surprising way…PRAY.    I thought I already had been, but God didn't want more questions from me.  He was giving me the answer.  PRAY.  Pray.  Pray.  He wanted me to show His love by praying for other people.  However, instead of praying for only those in my small group, God wanted me to use social media to show His love for people.  So about a month ago, I started going through my Facebook friends list in alphabetical order and praying for one person a day, throughout the day.  As God brings to mind that person, I pray for them.  Sometimes He gives me something specific to pray for them.  Sometimes not.  He always knows what that person needs, even if I don't.  

I have been using Facebook Private Messaging to send each person a note to let them know that they are being prayed for.  But it is not so I can get thanks or praise for myself.   It is for encouragement.  It is so they will know that God loves them.  He is the One who asked me to pray.  It is all by His leading and for His glory.  

I am becoming more and more excited every day to pray for the next person on the list.  To see how God is working in each life is awesome!  To catch a glimpse of how He loves each life is beautiful.  I am honored to have the privilege to pray for these precious lives.

I can tell you, friend, that it has been a wonderful experience so far to witness how perfect His timing is.  Several friends have told me that they were going through something, from having a new baby, to making some tough decisions, to having a rotten day.  I was just going through the list in alphabetical order.  God was setting divine appointments for my friends and for me.  

All this to say that though I was seeking answers to a concern of mine, God was giving me His answer to the more important question I was asking.  That is, How could I show His love to those around me?  So it is because of His great love, and His glory alone that I share all this with you, dear friends.  It is my honor and privilege to pray for you.  But it is because of His enormous love for you that I am called to pray in the first place.  He hears you, dear ones.  HE alone knows what you (and I) need.  He will provide.  Sometimes in ways we don't expect.  But He will provide.