to love

Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

1 Corinthinans 13 TPT

Loving people doesn’t mean we impose our “wiseness” without consent, loving people doesn’t mean imposing our values as someone else’s worldview when they do not hold that world view. Loving others doesn’t mean assuming we understand when we have never walked in that someone’s shoes. love is a SHELTER, a SAFE PLACE.

Our world has a lot of opportunity to replace love with assumptions that lead to judgement, bitterness, and even hate. Have you had that happen to you? Have you had assumptions made of you? I know I have experienced them and if you’re like me, it sure doesn’t feel great!

I’ve had assumptions made about how I manage type 1 Diabetes, or SHOULD manage it!

I’ve had assumptions made bout how I parent my children, or how I organize my home or teach and raise my kids.

Here is my challenge to myself and to you: no matter what we think we know, LETS BE  WILLING TO LAY DOWN OUR ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE SAKE OF EACH OTHER.

I would challenge us to rise up from the pit of assumptions to become a shelter and safe place for each other.

I would challenge us to lay down our opinions for the sake of each other.

I would challenge us to lay down our expectations for the sake of each other.

I would challenge us to even lay down our wisdom for the sake of each other.

And I would ask that we LISTEN.

When we haven’t had the opportunity to walk in the exact world as someone else, how then can we support and love? We LISTEN. We show empathy through listening about the worlds of others so that we can simply love. Friends, our love doesn’t come through the power of assumptions. But is does come through listening, and loving like Jesus loved.

We have the ability to be a safe place for the world, and we can do it one listening empathetic ear at a time. Are you with me?!