Learning to Love
“Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.”—Proverbs 10:12.
We are all banking on this being true. I think of all my offenses, the evil I have acknowledged the harm I have done, whether consciously or unconsciously, and the friends and family members I have hurt. I make amends for the damage I have done, but mostly, I try to make living amends.
I hope to learn to love how my granddaughter, Langley, is supporting this young child on her mission trip. I want to hold the Christ in others close and tell them what a treasure they are. I want to see Christ in them. This is what spiritual friends do for each other. They affirm and stand by God’s love in one another.
Lately, I am paying it forward more often. If I can't make amends to the person I harmed, especially if they have died, I now show the love I wish I could have given them to someone else. Paying it forward means showing love to someone who has done nothing for us, especially someone we don't know and who feels loveless. Still, making amends directly to the person we hurt will always be the most freeing.
I try, I judge, I make mistakes, I mess up, I hurt others, I make amends; I try to show the love that has often been unconditionally given to me, and the cycle repeats itself again and again. It is a circular path. It is the human condition. Still, I try to stay connected to this circular journey with others who know more about love than I do, and I hope to learn from them. I can easily see Christ in them; sometimes, they can see Christ in me, guiding me back onto the path of love.
Today, I learn the most about love from my grandchildren. It's a circular path: I first learned about love from my grandparents many years ago.
Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/