It's February. We may be past Valentine's but it's still the month of love. I think one area that I am always challenged in when it comes to love is loving my friends well. There's a difference between loving people and loving people well.
I don't know about you but I always feel the most loved when the people around me take the time to know me, invest in the things that mean something to me, and be a part of what's happening in my world. It's one thing to say we love people, it's another thing to allow ourselves to be inconvenienced or go out of our way to love someone where they are.
When I think of inconvenient love I think of Jesus. I think of all He sacrificed and the ways he went out of his way in order to come and meet us. I think of how He became fully man so that He could know the things we experience and struggle with. I think of his compassion and others mindedness.
I really hope that I can love my friends the way that Jesus loved me. May I allow myself to be inconvenienced in order to meet a friends need in an act of love. May I know the things closest to my friends' hearts and treasure those things with them. May I celebrate with those who are celebrating and mourn with those who are mourning. I don't even have to love what they love in order to embrace or celebrate it.
One way that I have felt loved by my tribe lately has been with my new guy (he's a silver labrador retriever) Rufus. When I let my friend and family know I was going to get him, multiple of them chipped in and actually bought my guy for me. I've had countless friends ask me about him, even those that don't like dogs at all. But they chip in and ask and allow me to gush over pictures because they love me. My people love me well. And I pray that I love them well in return!! (and since you asked and love me well.......... here's Rufus Henry)
