Thursday

Reading my 40 days of community devotional for today is thought provoking. Points to Ponder for today is "Love must be learned". At first thought this seems wrong. I mean don't we all know instinctively how to love? Isn't love instinctual for us humans? Surely love is more nature than nurture. But then I think longer about this and I have seen the results of dysfunctional families where love was not taught. I remember one lady who I met several years ago and when it was suggested that she fix her children lunch she was flabbergasted. She told me that she grew up fixing her own cereal or toast and then being put out of the house by her mother by 9 and they were not allowed back in until supper time, after her father came home. She never had lunch and it never occurred to her to fix it for her children. No one had taught her how to love.
We learn love by watching our parents and then learning these lessons of love. These new Life groups are supposed to help us learn how to love. As we share our struggles and successes, we accept and appreciate each other. When I hear one friend talk about her expectant daughter I hear the love and see her kind heart. Another asks for prayers for her son, again I see the struggles and concerns. As we study together and pray together, it is hard not to come to love these awesome ladies. They are definitely teaching me about love. They do not shirk from any idea of helping others. Thank you God for giving us families to love us and friends to love us and accept us as family. I am glad that my children have learned love from others as well as myself. I have failed to show love in a lot of circumstances but others have taught them and I am glad that they have these relationships to teach them love. Lisa, Karen, Brian and Dorian, your momma love you and I am so proud of each of you......but not nearly as proud as your heavenly father is to call you His.