Loving People........is HARD!

Loving people IS my cup of tea!

     When we sign on to love Jesus with all of our hearts, we aren't really told how hard it's going to be to love His people. Like, his creation. The people he's been dreaming of since before he created the planet. It..is..hard.
     When we decide to follow Jesus, the word love takes on a new meaning. It has a beautifully full sound to it even. To love someone  before being in love with Jesus, was shallow. We certainly didn't love them just as they are!
     After Jesus' kind of love hits our spirits, love comes ALIVE! You can see people way more then you could. You can see them through His eyes. When that happens compassion-glasses fix to our eyes and love over flows.
     Don't get me wrong, it's USUALLY not easy to love people right where they are. They will push your limits. They will try you. They will even do their best to make you dislike them. Maybe even succeed at times. But, the love of God ALWAYS wins.
     I'm thankful for the people who chose to see me through compassion-glasses over the last 17 years. WOW, 17 years! I can't believe I've truly loved the Lord for 17 years! My love feels so fresh, so new, so much "in progress"! (sorry, just a little mind blowing moment right there :)
     I can't begin to name all the people that have chosen to love me...There have been a few that have impacted me extra-big: Lonna, Mary, Gypsy, Caron, Laura, Clarien, Meagan,  Sandra, to name a few. These ladies stood with me at times, mentored me at times, prayed for me at times and spoke very hard truths to me at times too. All things that I needed. 
     They were Jesus with skin on, at just the right times, over and over in the my life. I am forever thankful for them!
     When I have experienced the fruit that comes out of relationship that spurs each other on to love like Jesus loves.... I HAVE TO LOVE. I will continue to love, I WILL! Hard as it may be...I will!