Showing posts with label love in action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love in action. Show all posts

Living Love



“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat. So people who don't know what (sic) they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino. ”

Joe Fox in You’ve Got Mail

If someone asked you to define yourself in just three words, what three would you choose? What springs to your mind first – Physical attributes? Achievements? Your occupation? Two thousand years ago Jesus challenged us to be known by a single attribute – love.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:35

Love isn’t just something you feel.

It isn’t just something you are.

It goes beyond an attribute to action. Love acts.

Love is expressed in the words we say and the ones we wisely withhold. It is demonstrated in unacknowledged kindness. Love is spoken more through our hands and feet than it ever will be with our mouths. Like faith, love is dead without action.

Like me those you most love live with you. The month of love may soon draw to a close but my love doesn't have to. I've made a plan to continue to put my love into action. I’m going to gather around the table and have every family write down one word that describes every other person at the table. After we describe each other with these uplifting words, I’m going to ask each person to give me one thing I can do to make them feel more loved. Then I’m going to set my love into motion by putting some feet to my words.

Do you want love to be more than words in your life? Why not join me in this challenge and live love this March?

I Love You 0-0-1


I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.
Jeremiah 31:3


A picture really can communicate more than words. Something about seeing my littlest girl act out her love makes it real, concrete, substantial. As many parents do, we've modified our "I Love You" motions into a game. Once Carynne starts, I respond with a like pattern adding two fingers at the end (I love you too).

She subsequently holds up three fingers and on we go until we run out of fingers. One day in an attempt to trump me with the volume of her love she held up two zeroes followed by a one (her way of saying 100). My insides melted with the warmth of her love.

Just like Carynne, my love is made real, concrete, substantial when I act it out.

When I'm tired at the end of a long day, do I love 0-0-1 or 1-0-0?


When I'm mired down in the endless jobs of cooking, straightening and washing, do I love 0-0-1 or 1-0-0?

I want to love my family with abundance. Abundance is supplied from the One who loves me first and most. Abundance is given one day at a time. Abundance spills from His heart into mine. Abundance from the One whose love can not be numbered.