
This is going to sound totally silly, but when I was a girl I was a little silly! My mother would send me down the street to the store. On my way, there was a beautiful wall of shrubs. As I walked, I would get a few inches away from the branches and talk to them. I’d say something like, “Oh, look at you! You are budding! You are so pretty!” You see, my mother told me that if I talked to the plants, they would grow! So, I was only to happy to do my part to help the earth by talking to the shrubs! When I got older, much older, I learned something else causes things to grow….love.
I was reminded of this through a beautiful gold wooden picture frame with a dried flower inside and five little words written next to it. “All Things Grow With Love.” I’ve had this picture for almost 19 years. It was given to my husband and I as an engagement present. At first glance, it’s a nice sentiment. But the more I get to know my Savior and His love, the more I know it is true!
I never really knew what love looked like, growing up as a child in an abusive situation. I was raised by a single parent who hurt me. So, my whole learning experience came from a place of brokenness. Being broken and unchurched led to a lot of heartache as I searched for love in my life. It wasn’t until God called me out of darkness that I began to learn what real love was.
Jesus is not just my God and King, He is my example of HOW to love and be loved. Afterall, “…God is love.” 1John 4:8b
Once while being tested by an “expert” on the Law, Jesus was asked what was written in the Law and how He would read it? “He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Luke 10:27 Wait! What about the ten commandments? Aren’t those the law? Of course they are! I was taught that if I love God, I won’t break the first four and if I love my neighbor as myself, I won’t break the last six! In a perfect world I would wrap those words up in a pretty box and be all set…right? Wrong!