1 John 4:8

The ones who make me laugh, the ones who hold me when I cry,

The bright ones, the sassy ones, the stubborn ones, the silly ones,

The brave ones who don’t know they’re brave,

The weak ones who know where to get their strength.

The holy ones, the lost ones, the ones no one considers,

The troubled ones, the ones who can’t find their voice,

The ones who talk too much and rarely listen,

The musical ones, the tone deaf ones,

The joyful ones, the happy ones – they’re not the same –

The beautiful ones – they’re all beautiful.

They are made in His image.

And they are Good.

He made them all the way they are.

Those who refuse to believe,

Or who are unable to comprehend,

He made them that way.

He made me.

And He gave us all free will.

He loved us that much.

How stifling when no one gets a say

And oppressive when no one gets to dissent,

When no one dares to do something different.

How terrible when we don’t get to decide to love.

To love Him.

To love our friends.

To love our family.

To ‘love our enemies, those who persecute us, and who utter all sorts of calumny against us’.

We get to decide to love.

And then it occurred to me.

He is Love.      -LTM