LIVE LOVE (2)

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; – Romans 12:9-10 (KJV)

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other – Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)

A life of IMPACTFUL LOVE is superior to a life of IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS. Love has many faces. It is perceived it in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It is sometimes more interesting to view love through the eyes of children, than of adults. A group of professionals posed the question to a group of 4 to 8-yearolds: “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

- “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
- “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
- “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”
- “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
- “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
- “Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.”
- “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
- “When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”
- “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
- “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”
[Adapted from: “Love” as seen by Frank Pittman and a bunch of kids” – Smart Marriages Mar. 12, 2002]

God calls us to LIVE LOVE and make a positive difference in our circles of influence; and we can. We must be grateful and thankful that God entrusted us with small but significant assignments to bless our little corners of His world. A little gift placed in the hands of our big God can change the world.

We can begin to demonstrate the reality of Romans 12:9-10: “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them…Love each other with genuine affection…” We can evoke the sanctity and sacredness of relationships that so often gets lost in the frenzy of daily living. Despite our lengthy to-do lists and crammed schedules, we can take time to talk, laugh, share, serve, process life, and breathe it all in. We can pause to smell the roses, breathe in the scents, and appreciate and experience life in its full bloom. What good is there in rushing through life and missing out on its essence – LOVE?