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Putting On Love



I just love everything about this shirt. I bought it a little over a year ago. I adore the woman who created this company and wanted to show my love and support by purchasing her product. Then I fell in love with the feel and bought another and even some as gifts. 

It's not so much the quality of the fabric or even my supporting my friend who owns the company. I love, love love the message "Wear Love, put in on, wear it out." What a great idea. 

We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves and let's face it, we all love ourselves. I think that's why God instructs us to love others like that. Not everyone is easy to love but those are usually the ones who need it the most. I know I can be difficult to love at times. I'm sure my hubby could agree. 

Sometimes I just get so focused on loving myself, making sure I'm comfortable, that my needs and wants are being met. I forget about loving others. I get up and go about my day not thinking or asking God how He would want to use me to show His love to others. I'm just too busy loving myself. 

Lately I've been a bit lonely. Moving into a new area again has been exciting, challenging and a enough work to keep me busy. The dust has settled and now here I am again missing family and friends in states far away. I'm a people person so seeking friendships isn't a surprise just sometimes I'm exhausted and want to sit on the curb because I've done this before and then had to say goodbye again. I don't want to do it (again). But I go back to, is that loving myself? Avoiding pain? Self protection mode? Probably. Ok, definitely. 

I was thinking about the three year journey it has taken to get here. The places I've seen, the people I have met along the way who have and continue to love me. The people God put in my path to love on. I'm incredibly thankful for all of it. I now have an opportunity to do the same here and if I continue to sit on the curb, I'm going to miss out. 

It took a loving friend to gently push me off the curb and encourage me to get back in the game. "Pray. Make a phone call and see where God would want to use you." Because love is an action word. Maybe it's just asking someone out for coffee or committing to serve. Who knows?  I do know this, I need to get off the curb, put on love and be willing to say "Ok, God." 

Then the most amazing thing happened the very next day. We have met most of our neighbors, I've even become friends with a couple of them and am so grateful God put us in this neighborhood. But some we have only met once and only wave in passing. I was cleaning my house and looking like a scary lady when the doorbell rang. It was my neighbor that I had just met on Halloween who doesn't know me. Well, she might think it's Halloween again when I open the door looking like scary lady with crazy hair and no makeup. This might sending her running back across the street. But it didn't. She smiled and said "I can't come in (wonder why?) but just wanted to ask if you have plans for Thanksgiving?" I thought maybe she needed me to pick up papers or mail or something. I told her we have family coming but that we would be around. Her reply was something from a Hallmark movie, " Oh how nice you have family coming. I was going to tell you that you are welcome to our place if you guys were going to be by yourselves." I know! Cue the happiness tears here. I mean who does that anymore? It warmed my heart and was a visual of what love looks like. Love does! God has such a way of getting my attention. 

I was encouraged and reminded once again of why I am here. It took a loving friend to nudge me off the curb and gently tell me to quit feeling sorry for myself, to get out there and love others. It also took a complete stranger to show me that it's not so weird to knock on someone's door and say " Hey, you ok?  Because if you're not, you are welcome to come over."
That sweet neighbor did a very loving thing. And it inspired me to do the same. 

So I wore my shirt yesterday as a reminder that I am to put on love, wear it out and love others not with only my words but with action and truth. 


-Pressing On


“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:39 NIV

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 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.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18 NIV


Comments

  1. Shari KelleyNovember 18, 2016 at 8:53 AM

    I'm so glad you are settling in and meeting people. Anyone would be blessed to have you for a neighbor and friend! The kindness of your neighbor blows me away and challenges me. Great post, Connie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ConnieNovember 22, 2016 at 11:04 AM

      Thank you Shari. Yes, I was challenged as well. Loving Texas!! hope you are doing well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

      Delete

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