“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35
Save all the puppies, I say! I am the girl who wants to love on everyone. My mom is the same way. Take my mom and I to an animal shelter and we will want to rescue and love on all the animals. Every time I end a phone conversation with her she tells me to kiss the boys a million times and tell them she loves them. Loving others runs deep through my veins. I can't help but love. God calls us to love others. It's our way of showing Jesus to the world. Love is one of His greatest commandments (Mark 12:31). But, love is hard. Are we supposed to love everyone equally? The same way? I have wrestled with how to love for many years.
When Jack was about 18 months old we knew we wanted another child. We got pregnant twice and had two miscarriages. Because I was young and healthy, my doctor was curious what was happening. She went ahead and did a test and found that our second baby had Downs. I lost her at 12 weeks and we were devastated. I remember asking God why He didn't give me an opportunity to love that baby. I knew I would love her deeply. I wanted to love her regardless of her issues and, quite frankly, there was a moment when I was angry with God for stripping me of that opportunity. I know now that there was far more He needed to teach me through that experience and another way He needed me to see love.
You see, I wanted to swoop in and love on you with all my might. I want to help you, fix you, pray for you, cook for you, etc, etc. I would do this for everyone if I had the ability. I have learned, however, that when you love everyone in such an extreme manner, something has got to give. Often times, when I love on another my priorities get out of whack. I'm all in and my family is left on the sidelines. I learned that a few years ago. As I journeyed through the process of how to love others and love others well, I learned that I am not called to love all people the same.
Like I said earlier, I want to love and rescue all the puppies but that's ridiculous. I have one crazy dog and that is plenty. I could not imagine bringing home the entire animal shelter. Scott would leave to another country I am sure. Recently, a friend loved on another and I wondered why it wasn't me. I realized in that moment that I couldn't give this person the type of love they needed in that moment. It didn't mean I loved them any less or that my love was any less valuable. All it meant was that God equipped another to love this person the way the needed.
I have learned that while we are all called to love, we are not called to love everyone the same. I am not saying that we love anyone less than another or there is some love scale. What I am saying is that people have different and varying needs and God equips each of us uniquely to love on others at different times. Sometimes God calls me to love on someone deep. Other times, He calls me to love from afar. Neither is more valuable than the other. The most important thing is that I love.
Love can get messy but when I see that He has ordained each of us to love one another in such unique ways, my soul and my life feels freedom. Love doesn't have a certain look or a list of requirements. All that matters is that we love. We can love by smiling at that certain someone who seems a bit down today, a prayer lifted up for a friend who is hurting, taking a meal, sending an encouraging text, having lunch, watching their babies so they can shower, praying for that one person in your life that stresses you out. It doesn't matter if how the person next to you is loving as long as you are showing love in your own way; the way God has called you.
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Matthew 12:31
Love & Blessings,
Megan
Save all the puppies, I say! I am the girl who wants to love on everyone. My mom is the same way. Take my mom and I to an animal shelter and we will want to rescue and love on all the animals. Every time I end a phone conversation with her she tells me to kiss the boys a million times and tell them she loves them. Loving others runs deep through my veins. I can't help but love. God calls us to love others. It's our way of showing Jesus to the world. Love is one of His greatest commandments (Mark 12:31). But, love is hard. Are we supposed to love everyone equally? The same way? I have wrestled with how to love for many years.
When Jack was about 18 months old we knew we wanted another child. We got pregnant twice and had two miscarriages. Because I was young and healthy, my doctor was curious what was happening. She went ahead and did a test and found that our second baby had Downs. I lost her at 12 weeks and we were devastated. I remember asking God why He didn't give me an opportunity to love that baby. I knew I would love her deeply. I wanted to love her regardless of her issues and, quite frankly, there was a moment when I was angry with God for stripping me of that opportunity. I know now that there was far more He needed to teach me through that experience and another way He needed me to see love.
You see, I wanted to swoop in and love on you with all my might. I want to help you, fix you, pray for you, cook for you, etc, etc. I would do this for everyone if I had the ability. I have learned, however, that when you love everyone in such an extreme manner, something has got to give. Often times, when I love on another my priorities get out of whack. I'm all in and my family is left on the sidelines. I learned that a few years ago. As I journeyed through the process of how to love others and love others well, I learned that I am not called to love all people the same.
Like I said earlier, I want to love and rescue all the puppies but that's ridiculous. I have one crazy dog and that is plenty. I could not imagine bringing home the entire animal shelter. Scott would leave to another country I am sure. Recently, a friend loved on another and I wondered why it wasn't me. I realized in that moment that I couldn't give this person the type of love they needed in that moment. It didn't mean I loved them any less or that my love was any less valuable. All it meant was that God equipped another to love this person the way the needed.
I have learned that while we are all called to love, we are not called to love everyone the same. I am not saying that we love anyone less than another or there is some love scale. What I am saying is that people have different and varying needs and God equips each of us uniquely to love on others at different times. Sometimes God calls me to love on someone deep. Other times, He calls me to love from afar. Neither is more valuable than the other. The most important thing is that I love.
Love can get messy but when I see that He has ordained each of us to love one another in such unique ways, my soul and my life feels freedom. Love doesn't have a certain look or a list of requirements. All that matters is that we love. We can love by smiling at that certain someone who seems a bit down today, a prayer lifted up for a friend who is hurting, taking a meal, sending an encouraging text, having lunch, watching their babies so they can shower, praying for that one person in your life that stresses you out. It doesn't matter if how the person next to you is loving as long as you are showing love in your own way; the way God has called you.
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Matthew 12:31
Love & Blessings,
Megan
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