Love, Real, Perfect and Really Perfect

We all are in a quest for that real love that the bible describes. The one that God has for us and has for his son that gave his life for us all, whether we knew, know or will ever know him or not. Knowing how ungrateful I am, he still did it for me, as well as all others. Made in his image, we all are. Those we don't get along with. Those who rub us the wrong way. Those who broke our hearts. Those hearts we broke. Those who look different. Those who talk different. Those who are broken, inside and out. Those ..... yes, those. Those who are made in his image, his beautiful and glorious image. We are called to love each and every one of those. Not, "hey, you're attractive and we have a chemistry" love. Not, "wow, I love your shoes" love. Love, whether you like them or not.

I John 3: 14-18

God's Love and Ours

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

I have been reminded by a small group friend over and over, because he's livin' it as his mantra through this economic time that "perfect love drives out fear". I love that. It's all good. God's already got it worked out. We start with love for each other in spite of ourselves. In spite of our inadequacies, faults, personality querks....love one another as God loves us. In the loving comes the caring for, providing for, supporting, crying with, laughing with, down in the ditches with.

I don't know how to do it, but I am going to attempt to do it, just like it says. Just love each other. Love each through, love each in, love each where they are, love each as they are made in His image and He's gotta be a handsome dude, don't ya think? So we are all beautiful, inside and out. Some of us just need to exercise our beauty rituals a bit (I am speaking of myself).

So, here goes, I love you. I don't know who you are or why you're reading this, but I love you because God loves you. Please know that you are a worthy and beautiful being on this planet and God loves you dearly. AMEN!