LOVE

                                                                 Reflections*

Love is accepting people in hope they will learn to understand God’s love and respond to him. 

Love is listening to the small boy who everyone looks down on because he is so small for his age.

Love is picking up the toddler whose mother just ignores him, and holding him close, smiling to him as he smiles back. Earlier love had broken bread with him, not being sure if he will get it all into his mouth or drop some on the floor.

Love is tolerating a lot of kids and putting up with their noise because that is who they are.

Love is listening to loud music, not because anyone is deaf, but because some think it sounds so much better that way, though not to the one who tolerates it out of love.

Love is popping corn, and popping some more, until hungry boys are content.

Love is learning a new boy’s name, laughing with them when his friend misnames him in sport.

Love is telling a singer that our boys love his singing, and one had requested it be played.

Love is listening to a friend and feeling a special tie that had been tested by anxiety hours before and found most durable.

Love is walking to the store in the dark with a small family, and buying pampers for the toddler and then giving them enough money that they can eat a snack before they go to bed.

Love is echoing feelings of a new Belizean who is frustrated with the disrespect of boys barging into their house to use the bathroom without asking, and then make a lot of noise banging on his truck.

Love is requesting the translation of a favorite Garifuna song as the singer’s son feels complimented that you want him to do a favor, learning what the song is about.

Love is hearing the grief of a spouse who can’t find something, suspecting theft and just accepting her frustration, even though suspecting it was just mislaid.

Love is giving your last change to a young man who is slow of academics, but full of feeling.

Love is gratefully eating your ethnic soup after others have been served, and you relish the peace within.

Love is imitating our Heavenly Father who cared for us from birth, or before, and has always given us a sense of his loving reach to us, desiring our fellowship; ever patiently hoping we will learn to love others as he has loved us regardless, endlessly, continuously

Love is signing off for the day with a grateful heart that God has given so much love to people this evening through his servant.

*Reflections after a busy evening, January 12, 2006 when we had a home center in Belize for kids, youth and adults dropping by, one evening when things were busier than usual and God was present to give extra strength to persevere with his gift of love.