The Four Letter Word

With all this snow, I think I'm getting a bit cabin feverish. I'm quite glad that I can come and just ramble some thoughts into this blog to entertain me for a while.

Today I'm talking about that four letter word. That word that gets thrown around all the time.
L- O- V- E.
"Oooh, I love your shoes"
"I love the weekend"
"I love my new jeans"
All things that I have said at one point or another.

I was reading the bible last night, and one of the most well known scriptures caught my attention.
John 3:16-
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The point that sticks with me the most is the fact that it says "For God so loved the world"

It doesn't say "For God so loved His close friends", or "For God so loved those that loved Him".
No, it says For God so loved the world!

I think so often, it can be easy to just love those around us who are close friends and special to us. It's easy for me to love my fiance, my family and my friends, but love should be more than that. Love isn't always easy, it's not like all problems melt away when you love someone. Love should be challenging, convicting, hard and rewarding.

If I look at that scripture again, "For God so loved the World" - Taking that word, 'world'.

The dictionary definition of it is:

1. Earth or globe, considered as a planet.

2. A particular division of the earth: the Western world.

3. The earth or a part of it, with its inhabitants, affairs, etc., during a particular period: the ancient world.

4. Humankind; the human race; humanity: The world must eliminate war and poverty.

5. The public generally: The whole world knows it.

The world isn't just one group of people, the world isn't just those that have lived pure lives and never made a mistake. The 'world' that the bible is speaking of includes everyone. Those that have murdered, stolen, lied, hurt, been hurt, you get the idea. It includes everyone.

This has all been a bit rambly I know. My main point of this whole thing is to encourage you to love.

I've been told that I love easily, I let people in and I love them unconditionally. I'd like to think this is mainly true, but I am only human and I can think of countless times where I have struggled to love someone. I have struggled to show them the same Grace and Love that God shows me every day of my life. In saying that though, I still try to love. I still try to let people in and love them, regardless of what they've done, or what they think, or who they are. I believe that everyone deserves to be loved. To be forgiven, to be treated kindly, gently, lovingly.

A song from the childhood days at sunday school has come back to mind as I have contemplated the topic of love. This song basically sums up what I am trying to say.

Love is something if you give it away [clap, clap]
You've got to give it away
Give it away
Love is something if you give it away [clap, clap]
You'll end up having more
Love is like a lucky penny
Hold it tight and you won't have any
But, give it away
And you'll have plenty
You'll end up having more.

Therefore, my lovely readers, give your love away. Love easily. It doesn't matter if you've been hurt before. It doesn't matter if someone you loved hurt you, or threw that love back into your face. Love is needed! Everyone, no matter how it may seem, craves love! Everyone wants to be loved.
I'm not just talking about love between a man and woman (Although I am inspired by my lovely B, haha) but love between all people. Showing love to the person who puts your groceries through, showing love to the person who charges you a crazy amount for gas, loving the person who pulls out in front of you and goes 40k in a 70k zone. Love your friends too, forgive them when they screw up, when they hurt you and make mistakes, because we've all been there. We have all messed up, but we are still worthy of love.

Just love. Let your song be love. Let your words be love. Let your actions be love.
Everyone is worthy of love.
No one is unlovable.

And remember this, regardless of what you've done, the things you have thought, the mistakes you have made:

You are loved.
By a God who gave His one and only Son so that you could have eternal life.

Thanks for reading, sorry it was a bit disorganised but hey, it's a blog, not an essay!

- V

Rain After Drought

Welcome to my new blog!

I'm mainly doing this because a friend pulled the "If you don't do it, I won't" card on me, after saying that she really wanted to start one. Of course I couldn't let her miss out on something she really wanted to do... so here I am. Although I started this blog purely to keep her happy, the idea of having a blog is actually becoming more appealing by the minute.

Before I start the meaty part of my first post, just some things to let you know:
I may ramble.
I may not always make sense.
My grammar may not always be perfect.
BUT
I will always try to write honestly, to share with you what I am thinking and feeling. I will always try to bring sunshine into your day, I will always try to keep you interested, and I so appreciate you taking the time to read it.

The title of my first blog is "Rain after drought". I've titled it that because it feels like it has been forever since I have done any kind of writing, apart of assignments and facebook comments. I want to write something that matters, something that can change someone's day, or even life. I want to write things that people can relate to, I want to write things that are important to me. This is my rain. I have been in the draught, I have stumbled around blindly, unmotivated, uninspired, but the rain has come. I have danced in it, I am inspired, I am alive.

I know that for some, the idea of rain is unappealing and depressing. This can be the case, and I have definitely been frustrated by bad weather before!
For me though, rain also brings the connotations of refreshing, cleansing and saturation.
The last couple weeks of my life have been exactly this. I have been refreshed, cleansed and saturated. God has overtaken my life once again and I am in awe.

My challenge to you is this, next time something negative comes, whether it be rain or something else entirely. Stop. Take a minute. In the midst of the annoyance, pain, sadness, just stop. Breathe.
Put all the pain and hurt into a bubble, and blow it away.
The good can come with the bad.
Learn to dance in the rain.
Find the freedom in it, be inspired, and come to life again.

I hope you all have moments of rain in your lives to inspire, refresh, cleanse and saturate you in goodness, freedom and love.
Over and out.
V.