When the Simple Answer is Love

The early morning met me with many distractions as my mind cycled through the storyline of recent events which held one plot twist after another. I thought to myself....”Lord, why does my life sound more like a soap opera than a testimony?” I pondered this thought as I made my way to the place where coffee and Jesus offered me peace and hope. The place where I surrender all my fear, confusion, and uncertainty and fix my eyes on the One who saw these things coming and had a plan already designed for me to carry out.

The storyline of this day in particular was straight out of the library of shock and awe....it was an unexpected twist in the life of the ordinary and simple. I took a deep breath and pondered the circumstance where I was contacted by two, not one, but two, broken and hurting souls who have drawn a conclusion through various means that my brother, Kevin, is their father and I am their aunt.

My mind was overwhelmed by so many thoughts including rekindled memories I preferred to leave buried in the cemetery of forgotten pain and disappointment. My brother Kevin died in an unexpected drowning ending a life lived on a broken road. A road he travelled seeking an escape from a dark past that kept following him so close he could not escape it no matter how hard he tried. We didn’t think he could have children, now here we are today learning he had two he never knew, and I can’t help but wonder if this would have made a difference in his life?

I lay my heart at the feet of Jesus and ask what I believed was a complicated question.....

Why is this happening Lord and what do you want me to do?

As much as I wanted to leave a past buried, the mere thought of disregarding or rejecting these two children who wandered onto the doorstep of my heart literally made me sick to my stomach.

I bowed my head with warm tears streaming down my face seeking the One who holds all the answers I need in this desperate moment, and He met me with a simple answer....

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you Trisha, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

Jesus spoke these very words.....they are in red letters and these are the words He dropped in my cup this morning.

When He spoke these words, He was preparing to leave His disciples to head to the cross. He wanted to leave them with simple words that let them know what is most important in His kingdom and with one word he shatters everything we try to complicate.....LOVE.

Jesus says that our Christlike love shows the world we are His disciples and can break the barriers of sin. In fact, He says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love is more than simply warm feelings of affection, it’s an attitude that reveals itself in action. As I look inward at the heart He is molding in His image and backward at a past I have been redeemed from I can see with clear eyes my inmost desire. It is the same Kevin had, it’s the same these two have, and it’s the same every human being long for:

To be loved……

So, what is the response to the unexpected? Maybe it’s a prodigal child following the ways of the world, maybe it’s someone you love suffering in a hard circumstance resulting in depression, maybe it’s a marriage that’s less than satisfying, maybe it’s conflict and division in your family, or maybe it’s two strangers who walked into your life looking for answers, the response is simple......

• Love them through their mistakes

• Love them in their broken places

• Love them when it hurts

• Love them when they are lost

• Love them through seasons of searching

You may be asking what does loving Jesus like He loves me look like from a practical sense?

Well, I have learned love is not complicated when we remove ourselves from the equation: We help when it’s not convenient, we give when it hurts, we devote ourselves to others welfare rather than our own, and we take on the hurts from others without complaining or fighting back.

This kind of loving is hard to do but when you love like this....people notice and they see you are empowered by a supernatural source. A source of life that comes naturally when you are connected to the vine. It’s His love flowing through you that enables you to give it away and the only way to obtain it is to take a break away from the world and sit quietly in His presence....to pray, read His word, and soak in the beauty of wisdom.

It’s about a relationship with the lover of your soul who reveals the mystery of how deeply He loves and cares for you. Trust is built and knowledge is gained in these beautiful moments with Him and when I pause from all the noise this power becomes available to me....the power to love selflessly and sacrificially. This is who I desire to be: a woman who pours love into others so they will see a glimpse of Him.

Heavenly Father, show me how to love You and those you position in my life. Align my heart with Yours so that divine appointments are met with the mystery of love that refreshes the soul with hope. Let the words of my mouth reveal the selfless love of a Father who sent His only Son to save us from a broken and dark world that threatens to hold us captive from all Your goodness. You are the key that opens the treasure chest of our longing hearts and fills it with the jewels of faith, hope, and love. Let this treasure overflow in my life so that others see You when they see me.

I love you Jesus! ❤️