Love

I'm slowly working my way through Max Lucado's Cast of Characters.  I pick it up, read an essay or two, and put it down.  I've talked with Brad about it, and he's picked it up and read through them all.  Now it's back in my hands, to delve into again.  I know, as I progress, that I'm not loaning this one out, I need to keep it near, it's one to go back into--even when I've finished it--and to be reminded by.

The essay that has stuck with me most is one from the beginning, "The 7:47 Principle," really chapter three.  He relates the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet.  There's a lot to this essay, but the thing I carry with me is his reference to and work with that famous passage about love from 1 Corinthians 13.  You've heard it at every wedding--but it's not exclusively about romantic love, it's truly about Christ's love for us. It's about how we should love and live.  How I should.

Max writes someone once challenged him to take out the word "love" which stands for Jesus and insert his name in its place.  Here, I'll do it with my own name.

"Ellen is patient, Ellen is kind."

Not nearly often enough.

"Ellen does not envy, she does not boast, she is not proud."

I do, I do, I am.

"She is not rude, she is not self seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs."

I can be.  I can't seem to let go of myself.  My instant reaction can be anger, but I talk myself down.  Record of wrongs? Um, yeah, for a few people--just ask and you'll get a list.

"Ellen does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the Truth."

Hm.  People know I love Jesus, but does everyone who meets me know that--do I allow Him to shine?

Not always.

"She always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Again, a work in progress, but not always.

Can you imagine what always is?  

(Well, yes, it's Him!)

"She never fails."

Yes, I do.  Hourly.  More often than that.

Now, getting past Ellen or yourself it you did the same, put Jesus' name in there instead of love. 

"Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind..."

Do I need to go any further? 

This one passage teaches us how to live and who He is.  I'm not there yet.  You?  

But he loves us any way.