True Love

Of course I have to think and pray about love today, being Valentine's Day, right? I started off my prayer time today actually having to repent for not being as loving as I should, mostly to my children today. I found myself more irritated than normal about their frequent questions, mess-making, not doing what was asked of them- you know, moms, the usual. I pray this prayer of repentance often, but I think now that I may usually feel sorry because I do not want others in my life to feel the pain of my irritability, or to question my faith, and in general I want the day to be pleasant for everyone, including myself. But today a verse came to mind that has directed me to think more deeply about why I, with the Lord's help, should choose love, every day, in every circumstance.

The Word: 1 John 4:7-12 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among  us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us."

So responding in love is more than just bringing about a more peaceful outcome and maintaining relationships, it is molding my heart to be more like Christ's, identifying with and knowing God more deeply, inviting him into my heart, home, and experiences, and showing God to others. This helps me see how it really is worth it to stop and seek the Lord's Spirit in times of difficulty instead of responding instinctively, like when my son was attracted to aluminum foil over a bowl in the fridge today, pulling it out and having it break all over the floor, then not understanding when I didn't want him walking through it to hug me as he cried.

Prayer: To see love as powerful as it really is, as an experience of the living God.

Fasting Story: Man, so many good Valentine's treats in the house, so hard to stay away! Every time I am tempted is just another reminder that God is the true bread of life, He is sweeter and more satisfying than even the sweetest treat :) All fo the temptations are also more opportunities to remember the people who provided these treats and I hope to make myself 'full' of gratitude and love for them.