THE WAY OF LOVE

Often as a new month approaches and I am considering what I will share in my blogpost, I reflect back on the past month and the lessons it has brought me. Early last month, I listened to a podcast with Bishop Robert Barron titled How to Discern God’s Will for Your Life. I was drawn to its message and shared it with many of my friends. You can find it on You Tube.

Bishop Barron suggests that when making decisions, we keep in mind first and foremost:

What is the path of greatest love?

Or, what is the demand of love in this present situation? How would Jesus walk through this? What path opens up my capacity to love? While these are excellent questions, they are not answered easily or quickly. But I believe they are a very wise place to start. Surrendering to God with a willingness to pray, to wait, and to watch for God’s movement.

In situations involving others, my mind naturally wants to go to what I think the other person or persons may be thinking or wanting. Next, I add what I think or want, and soon my mind gets very messy or cluttered. Fortunately, God’s grace breaks in and tenderly reminds me to go to Him and ask Him to sort this all out—What does God want? How does God see this all? Ultimately, I want what God wants. If I let God calm my spirit and give Him time with the situation, clarity will come. God will grant me His wisdom.  I want to keep in mind that we all are continually changing. There is always more to know about another person, about myself, and about any given situation.

I’m reminded of the well-known Scripture passage, 1 Corinthians 13, that starts with:

Love is patient, love is kind…

And ends with the promise:

Love prevails. God prevails.

That is what I truly desire. God and Love.

God is so patient and tender with all of my shortcomings. I want to be that way with others. In a recent conversation with my youngest daughter, I shared that as I age, I’m drawn to friends who want the best for me and allow me to walk through the process of discerning what that “best” is. And I want to do the same for others. I believe the way of love gives us all that freedom.

“Trying to change other people is futile, foolish, and
certainly not loving.”    Courage to Change

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image.”
Thomas Merton

So this month, let there be love and let it begin with me.