I John 3:16

This is  how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

     This Valentine’s Day, I am sure there are some out there who are asking the question whether there is true love anywhere.  The answer lies in the Creator of the Universe…He came and displayed what true love is supposed to look like.  He humbled Himself and became a servant.  He did not come into the world to gain accolades and recognition.  He sought the face of God, and placed His Fathers’ will above what He desired at the moment.  This was shown in the Garden of Gethsemane, talked about in the Gospels.  He sweat great drops of blood while placing His will before the Father.

     I wanted to give a shout out to my lovely Parents, who have showed their love for each other and their family by placing each other before their separate conveniences.  Despite financial hardships and illnesses, they have remained stable in the assurance that God’s love was going to bring our family out to the other end.  They obeyed God.  I observed my Father believing in the love he and Mom had, despite her illnesses.  Mom and Dad also placed their daughters’ educational cost before their own pleasures.  It enabled me to graduate with a Bachelors of Art Degree from Vanguard University. They could have thrown in the towel and left…they did not!  This coming September they are going to be celebrating 54 years together!

     What a testimony! They were modeling to us and to the world how it ought to be. Focusing on the love the Spirit gives, that enables us to give and receive the love He first displayed.  There are many times I wrestle with the problem of loving myself and others.  I believe I need to totally focus on the message that the love of Christ is not based on our deserving it in any regard.  It is given by grace, and not worked for.  It is then up to us to have faith enough to put it into action each day.  Our Lord asked us to seek God and to become servants.  We will all experience the desired love here on Earth, when we base it on believing that mankind was loved from the beginning of creation.  If Christ did not give up on us, then why should we give up on ourselves or each other?  Let us become Kingdom Builders and display that agape love.  His love should be the motivator in sparking love.  Thank you, Alan Sweet, for coming back to me!  May we continue being an example of Christs’ sustaining love! Happy Valentines’ Day!