Affection part 4
It's not "I love you, but that doesn't mean I like you." It's, "I like you... because I love you!" Love is affection. Love is a love feast. A meal to be shared. And think about it. Because that's what I've been trying to make happen in this Rant series. Really think about it. Think about laying your life down for someone. You can't do that and still think badly about them. Because laying your life down for someone is about seeing a need and meeting it. And when you look at someone's... call them what you want. Bad qualities? Lack? Differences? If you look at those things with the mindset of picking up the slack instead of kicking someone when they're down... that's love. When you look at someone and are able to celebrate their differences instead of attacking them... that's love. And that's what it's all about. Guys: We're supposed to be different. The body needs all of it's different parts. Each part has a unique function. There are some things that I can't do, that you were made to do. So if I try to do everything, not only am I going to fail miserably... but I'm going to rob you of your chance to do that thing that you were created to do. But if we work together... everything will get done. And the more we work together, the stronger that bond becomes. If somone is relying on you, or if you are relying on someone... that's powerful. Trust. And I think--especially when it comes to our relationship with God, but even with each other--obedience is a trust issue. If you trust that your heavenly Father has your best interests at heart, you won't have a problem obeying Him. If you trust that the people in your life care about you, you'll be able to drop your guard. You won't always be looking for things to get offended or upset about. You'll be able to enjoy people even if they aren't exactly the same as you. Variety is the spice of life, right? If you open your mind to people, you can learn from different points of view, different backgrounds and different experiences. And you can embrace those differences instead of fighting against them. Even, like in the case that always bring up about the people at work who get all fired up (in a good way) about their music. It's not my music. I'm not interested in it. I don't like it. Don't want to listen to it. But I CAN (and will, and have) listened to THEM be excited and happy about it. Because I love THEM. You don't have to love everything someone loves in order to love them. You can just be cool with it and not worry about it. As long as it's not hurting anybody... all is well. And by letting them be who they are, with you, instead of raining on their parade, you're building that bond and that relationship. You're liking people--not necessarily because you have things in common, or because you agree with them on every single thing--because you love them. If it starts with love everything else falls into place. That's the foundation that we build on. And when we build on that foundation, everything else is strong. Don't just love the people you like. Love everybody. And then see if you don't end up liking everybody too!