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Saturday, May 30, 2020

How Can We Show Love...

These are dark days but because He lives we can face tomorrow!

"Because I live, you also will live."
John 14:19

 

Have you found it hard to feel encouraged in these dark days? 

 "it's so hard to know how to show love in a city where everyone is afraid"
said Melissa last night as she struggled with ideas on how to show love
in a world where again this week so much of the news 
is heavy and hard and we want to change the world with love but how?
~ "You must be the change you want to see in the world."~
Mahatma Ghandi 

Melissa shared an encounter with her intent to show love the other day...
she heard a lady in a wheel-chair calling 'will someone please help me cross the street?'
so she thought, 'well, that's pretty obvious! I can help her'
but as she pushed the very heavy wheel chair the woman wailed in pain over every bump,
Melissa got stuck in an LRT track and sheer panic forced the chair free!
When she reached the other side one woman was as distraught as the other
and she said 'all I intended to do was show love'.💝

It's hard not to let anger take root in the unfairness-es of life...
but God IS love. 
He IS good!

Psalm 145:8-9
 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.
 The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.
 
Let's trade our anger in for humble prayer
for a heart of forgiveness and love!
I turned to Psalm 37 yesterday for comfort and encouragement
It begins like this...
Do not fret because of evildoers,...


We are not equipped to stand up for what we believe
until we get down on our knees! 


How can we show love in a world where fear’s dark fathoms roll
With woe and pain, anxiety, chaos out of control
Mountains can seem so hard and high, but we are called to climb
And suffer the strain of its struggle one step at a time

How can we show love in a world where doubt and mistrust mars
The heart where hope should spring immortal, instead of hate’s scars
How can we hold a hand when Covid keeps touch beyond reach
Or comfort one another in death’s losses, dark and deep

How can we show love in a world of love misunderstood
Because broken humanity has not loved like we should
This place where racial prejudice makes people vile of heart
Makes we who want to show love, wonder how to do our part

How can we show love in a world where opinion takes charge
The Word of God rejected/neglected by the masses, by and large
How can we gain wisdom to know how to love without fail
On an ocean of ships tossed to and fro without a sail

How can we show love and not take offense when ‘they’ oppose
When we are crowned with thorns while scorn tramples love’s perfect rose
When evil seems to triumph and the world screams ‘where is God’
When answers are inept when instead of a kiss, a rod

How can we show love in a world that needs it desperately?
We start by looking through lenses of true humility
We start by seeking God to guide, for we are called to climb
One smile, kind word, one retort withheld, one prayer at a time

One heart that trusts the One who battled in Gethsemane
Surrendering His will to Love’s Supreme Authority
One life committed to the call no matter what the price
Where the greatest Command of all begins with sacrifice

© Janet Martin


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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!