LOVE - Advent - Day 22 - Week 4

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love seems like such a simple thing.  After all, we talk about falling in love on such a whim. It seem weightless and ethereal.  It seems so easy... and yet so difficult to really grasp on to at times.
The only way love makes sense to me these days is as a conscious choice.  Why?  Because the world around us, even here in the week before Christmas, seems to be drowning in hate instead.

Things I do know:
    I cannot change the world.
    I have zero platform to speak from as I sit here and write.
    I am a flawed human being... prone to do some really unloving things at times.    
    If I live my life and only accomplish really, deeply helping someone to see love, it is a life well lived.

Hate is easy. But hate is a heavy burden to carry. Spite is handy.  But spite will fester in your soul like acid. Arguing is simple and not hard to find someone to participate with you. But an argumentative spirit leads to bitterness in deep places of your being.

If I have not love...I am nothing. If I give everything I have, but miss out on love, this life was wasted.

For my single friends, I'm not talking about married love at ALL in this moment. I am talking about the type of love that this world is gasping for today.  Friendship... Compassion... Caring.
Right at this moment people in your city are preparing themselves to not wake up again.  Right at this moment someone is so desperate for love that they aren't sure they can go on another second.

Maybe that's you... If it is my friend, please please reach out to someone. You are valuable. You are loved. Please give us a chance to show you that.

If it's not you, I'll bet that someone's face popped into your head a few minutes ago. Reach out to them. Do it this very second.

Love.  It is the choice that can help to start turning this tide. Find the things that bind us.  Focus there.

Love.  This week... may we love boldly.

Father,
Help us to see the hurting people around us tomorrow. Help us to seek out the lonely. Help us to reach out if we are hurting. Please help us to remember, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves 
(which also means we need to love ourselves).  God make us your hands and feet in this world of chaos and pain.
-Amen

Gina