Application: It's Valentine's Day. To some this is just a lame, mostly-made-up Hallmark Holiday. To others, a painful reminder of not having what society seems to think everyone should have, that "special someone". For my wife and I, it has become a special celebration of family. A chance to let one another, and especially our kids, know they're loved and valued. Laura bought them balloons, and we stuck little paper hearts to their bedroom doors with little reminders of all the things we love about them. It was her idea, of course. :-)
It occurs to me today that our family, friends and significant others are kind of like our "driver's ed" for the Greatest Commandment. God gives us certain close relationships as the empty parking lot, where we can have our first go-around and practice this difficult and often dangerous practice of loving our neighbors as ourselves. We wouldn't want to jump right onto the busy, chaotic city streets to trying to love our neighbors whom we've never met, or the intimidating freeway of loving those who will never love us back. We need to start somewhere. And so God first gives us parents, siblings, friends, significant others, spouses, children, and other close ties.
And much like with driving, it's true of relationships: you are much more likely to get into a wreck close to home. Our family can hurt us in ways strangers rarely could. But even knowing how to react when we feel we have lost control is an important relationship skill. Love is dangerous, and it often hurts. But with the Holy Spirit as our instructor, we take to the roads anyway, knowing that even what we wreck, God can redeem.
Prayer: God, thank you for my family, my friends, and for Laura, my wonderful, strong partner in this life. Help us learn from each other as we seek to love our neighbors. Amen.
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