To be in a relationship with God is the
best thing that ever happened to me. Like a love struck teenager, falling
in love with the Lord hit me in an instant, but to stay walking in love with
Him is a completely different story.
In one of my ‘emo’ moments with God, I used to ask, "Lord, I want to love you but I don’t know how."
Then there was silence, “Lord, are you still there?”
Then I realized it has been clearly written long before I even asked. It has been spoon-fed to us all along!
The Lord says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” (Lk 10:27)
With much passion, I would beam and say, “Oh Yes, Lord! I do and I will!” But then the Lord is not finished yet… and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Err..uhm..ahh…Can I just love you, period?
All right, I know that I can’t change what is written to suit my fancy. You didn’t say “or” but clearly said “and” hence, it’s a twin deal!
Growing in my spiritual life, I’ve learned that our love and relationship with our neighbor is the reflection of our love for God. Yes, there are a number of times when I get weary in loving and in doing good and end up complaining and questioning. I have not gotten off completely my I-could-care-less tendencies. Countless times, I succumb to the comfort of the live-and-let-live principle.
But when my heart gets numb and empty, I’ve learned to turn to the Lord to ask for grace to understand more, to care a little more, to give some more, and to love once more.
Moreover, I’ve also learned that we don’t need to wait for dramatic situations to show love. It can be as simple as offering drinks to the delivery guy, preparing a sandwich to the office tea boy, giving away an umbrella to someone who needs it much more, having a spare Nol card in case someone runs out of credit, a simple good morning to the guard on graveyard shift or just a simple smile to brighten up one’s day.
These are small acts of kindness that can be done genuinely and deliberately to show LOVE to our neighbor that in turn, will show GOD, Himself, to the people around us.
I definitely have a long way to go to improve in this area of loving and I may stumble and fall short for a number of times but as long as the Lord is with me, I know I’ll get there somehow.
Expand my heart oh Lord that I may love you thru my neighbors. Forgive me, if I shy away from doing good. And in the many times that I fail to reflect you in my loving, give me the courage to obey your commands, perfect me in your ways and be my God forever and ever, Amen.
By Sis Ava AbabanIn one of my ‘emo’ moments with God, I used to ask, "Lord, I want to love you but I don’t know how."
Then there was silence, “Lord, are you still there?”
Then I realized it has been clearly written long before I even asked. It has been spoon-fed to us all along!
The Lord says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” (Lk 10:27)
With much passion, I would beam and say, “Oh Yes, Lord! I do and I will!” But then the Lord is not finished yet… and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Err..uhm..ahh…Can I just love you, period?
All right, I know that I can’t change what is written to suit my fancy. You didn’t say “or” but clearly said “and” hence, it’s a twin deal!
Growing in my spiritual life, I’ve learned that our love and relationship with our neighbor is the reflection of our love for God. Yes, there are a number of times when I get weary in loving and in doing good and end up complaining and questioning. I have not gotten off completely my I-could-care-less tendencies. Countless times, I succumb to the comfort of the live-and-let-live principle.
But when my heart gets numb and empty, I’ve learned to turn to the Lord to ask for grace to understand more, to care a little more, to give some more, and to love once more.
Moreover, I’ve also learned that we don’t need to wait for dramatic situations to show love. It can be as simple as offering drinks to the delivery guy, preparing a sandwich to the office tea boy, giving away an umbrella to someone who needs it much more, having a spare Nol card in case someone runs out of credit, a simple good morning to the guard on graveyard shift or just a simple smile to brighten up one’s day.
These are small acts of kindness that can be done genuinely and deliberately to show LOVE to our neighbor that in turn, will show GOD, Himself, to the people around us.
I definitely have a long way to go to improve in this area of loving and I may stumble and fall short for a number of times but as long as the Lord is with me, I know I’ll get there somehow.
Expand my heart oh Lord that I may love you thru my neighbors. Forgive me, if I shy away from doing good. And in the many times that I fail to reflect you in my loving, give me the courage to obey your commands, perfect me in your ways and be my God forever and ever, Amen.
SFC UAE
No comments:
Post a Comment