Every morning, my mother would chop up fresh vegetables and fruits, throw them in her handy dandy blender, and serve the resulting 'smoothie' to anyone in the house. Actually, 'serve' in the last sentence would be a soft word - Let's just say that she is very, VERY concerned about our recommended daily allowance of vegetables, and she would insist that we drink her concoction fresh out of the blender. She would insist because apparently I'm not the only one who finds it very... palatable. I have to confess that I have trouble resisting the great temptation to balk at her as she hands the usually greenish sludge-in-a-cup over to me.
She tried doing the same thing in the States too, and knowing my brothers, they were a whole lot more vocal in resisting as she tried having them drink the stuff. This was one time that I realized that she really was into this whole smoothie trip. She knows that we know that we don't really eat as much green, and this, in her opinion, was the best way to act upon her concern.
Praise God for making people realize things in a different light. I mean, seeing my mom unreasonably mocked for her concern made me feel bad, and it made me just go ahead and take a swig at the smoothie, thinking that she made it because she loved us.
That made me think. Are there any particular methods and ways in my life that I practice to express how much I love a person that aren't necessarily appreciated and understood right away? I could almost hear the convenient voice in the back of my head say "YES!" as I reflect on the countless words I've tried saying to countless people coming straight from my heart but ending up fruitless.
I've noticed a cycle occuring at least twice in my life so far, that I can only describe as throwing my heart to a brick wall. You give and you give and you keep on giving your heart to someone. You give and you truly expect nothing in return, but exhaustion eventually takes over, if the frustration of getting nothing back doesn't overcome you first. You are then left drained. Anxious. Frustrated. Angry. Love turns to hate.
Perhaps it's all because I haven't been loving right, and I thank God that He has revealed His wisdom to me these past few days in events which I cannot deny were divinely orchestrated concerning this. Before I continue, I'm thinking that I need to post this from the Bible:
"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.""
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.""
- Matthew 22:34-40
I believe that the solution to all this is that you gotta learn how to love right, and the way to do that is to love God first. See, every single person in this world is unique, and this means that they give and take love in their own unique ways. It's just that oftentimes we forget that we were made and made unique by God in the first place.
The thing is, you simply cannot fail in loving God. you couldn't love God too much - What a beautiful line! - You couldn't outlove God. Nor could you love God in the wrong way - if He doesn't approve of the love you give, you can be sure He will let you know in the way that you would understand the most. Thus you are placed in a position where God takes charge of the heart that you have, taking away what flaws it has from the sinful nature we used to have, and what love remains for your partner, your friends, and your parents, would have God's perfect anointing. It's EXACTLY as the Word says.
...And that being said, I must say that I love God for my mother's smoothies.
I love God for the authority of my bosses at work.
I love and thank God for Michel, and the ways He uses her to make me learn so much.
I love God for my family and friends.
I love God for the upcoming events that are happening to end this year right.
I love God for all the trials that are going on, and the trials to come.
I love God for all the blessings.
You say it the other way around, and you sound selfish.
I love God for you, dear reader.
God bless you.