February Twenty Eighteen

February Twenty-Eighteen 

“But what does love look like?” I asked.

God said, “I love you when I open the shutters and let the light in.

And I love you when I wander through the hallways of your mind, whistling love songs to keep nightmares at bay. And I love you when I kneel in your garden and pull the weeds that try to strangle you so that you can grow nothing but wildflowers for days.  And I love you when I brush the dust off your piano keys and stairwells so that you can once again open up your heart to another, and maybe even invite them in to dance.”

I whispered to God, “I don’t think I’m very good at that.”

Then God said, “It’s okay. Sometimes your heart is full of dust, and your home is full of hatred, and the garden soil is rocky that not a single bit of new life can grow. But I love you anyhow, and I will never leave you. So when you aren’t sure, listen for my lullaby. Look for the wildflowers. I am there. I am always in the hallways of your heart. That is love. I just can’t leave you alone.”

-Sarah Are 

Nothing softeneth the arrogance of our nature like a mixture of some frailties. It is by them that we are best told, that we must not strike too hard upon others because we ourselves do so often deserve blows. They pull our rage by the sleeve and whisper gentleness to us in our censures.  -Halifax 

Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet 

What would love do? I ask myself as I look in the mirror and start picking myself apart. Love would look past the reflection and say, “Look how far I’ve come.” Love would say, “I’m grateful for another day.” 

What would love do when my growing child comes down the stairs with excessive grump? Love would open its arms and say, “Getting up is hard. I know.” Love would hold its tongue. Love would give a little more time and extra grace…

What would love do when it’s obvious my spouse forgot to do something important? Love would take a deep breath and then say, “It’s okay. I forget things too.” Love would see all the things he remembers and thank him for that...

What would love do when ugliness fill the newsfeed, stands behind me grumbling in line, or cuts me off in traffic? Love would not join in. Love would negate it by being kind to the co-worker with sad eyes or helping the neighbor with heavy burdens…

What would love do when finances, commitments, duties, and demands make it hard to breathe? Love would lower the bar. Love would let something go. Love would ban the word “should” from my vocabulary and say, “Good enough for today.” ...

What would love do when hate-filled words and cliques build barriers that keep people out? Love would look for the lonely, excluded, and alienated. Love would reach out a hand and say, “Come as you are. There’s a place for you here.”...

Today I want to look like love.

I want to sound like love.

I want to speak like love.... 

  

Too often I look like worry, impatience, and agitation.

I’d rather look like love.

Too often I sound like arrogance, selfishness, and greed. 

I’d rather sound like love.

Too often I’m all about productivity, efficiency, and time management. 

I’d rather be all about love...

It’s not easy—choosing love takes time, effort, thought, patience, and self-control. 

But the payoff is huge.

Choosing love for myself and for those in my path means 

a better morning 

a brighter outlook 

a deeper connection

a softer place to lay my head at night. 

I can be anything today.

I want to be love. 

How about you? 

- Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today

On another note, I just had to share this fun news... 

As we moved to establish Children of the Kingdom as an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization this fall, we began considering a new logo and we were able to work with Jago Silver, the illustrator of The Jesus Storybook Bible. It has been an incredible process to work with such a talented artist to capture the heart of the work God has given us to do.  

See here for the full story.