Love letter #39: The power of snail mail and a party

Image via WikipediaIn a conversation today, I was reminded of the importance of showing love through community, physical presence, and investing with relationships by spending time with one another. Much like a "snail mail" letter vs. an email, physical presence  vs. electronic presence demonstrates a different level of care and concern.

I have a Great Aunt that faithfully sends birthday, anniversary and other cards on time to our large family with consistency and a loving touch. It feels different and more special, somehow, opening her card-- especially compared to an email.

Like a card, the physical presence of someone somehow demonstrates unspoken love in the same sincere way. That old fashioned accountability and fellowship is what builds community and demonstrates a type of love and care that can not be replaced. Scripture is consistent with the theme of the importance of physical presence, and urges us to value it by keeping community and caring for one another in the assembly.

Love letter #37: Taking responsibility for what you love

'Love they neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31)' implies that you love yourself. Sometimes that is difficult for many of us to do. Most of the time it is because we do not see the same value in ourselves that God sees in us. In fact, we are highly valued by God. Since God is Love, and love, by definition places high value on the object of its affection, He places high value on us.

Love letter #34: Love in our suffering

Image via Wikipedia

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

Love letter #33: The love wave

Image via WikipediaIt is an understatement to say (and fairly obvious) that, Love lived is and obsession of mine. I am intrigued by what it means for our every day life, for our coming and going, our careers, and how we spend our time.

Love letter # 28: Love that surpasses knowledge

Tonight I was with a friend and her small child. As we were talking to each other, the little girl looked up and became fixated on the sky. She was discovering what we were missing, even though we knew it was there-- the expansiveness of the sky. She marveled at the moon, and the clouds. She seemed fascinated that when she looked behind her and above, or if she looked in front of her or to the side, there it was-- the sky.

Sometimes its easy to get so caught up in thinking horizontally, one person to another, that we miss the expansiveness of God and the greatness of His love, just like we missed the majesty of the sky as we concentrated on one another. As I prayed for what to say to the readers of this blog tonight, I came across a prayer that Paul prayed to the church at Ephesus that was a great reminder to me and captured my heart for you.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Ephesians 3:16-19

May you know a love without dimensions, may you be you experience love that goes beyond your understanding, and may that love take up residence in your soul, and strengthen your heart such that you are whole in our Heavenly Father and renewed in Christ. Amen.

Love letter # 26: Love restores

“For so long I couldn’t see

How a heavenly Father could love me

If my own dad raised me with dread and insecurity”

-excerpt from “Daddy’s Girl” by
Minister Lyvonne “Proverbs” Briggs