Sister to Sister: Love

Welcome to Sister to Sister! The opportunity for you to write words of truth and honesty that bring encouragement to other sisters. Feel free to link up a story, a lesson, a quote, a song or a scripture that's meaningful to you. Be creative, be expressive, be real.

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:16

Here's how it works:

* Every week I'll share a word I'm focusing on. If you'd like to join me in posting on that topic, wonderful. If not, link up with an encouraging post you'd like to share.

* Link up bellow and spread the love! Visit other sister's posts and let them know what their words mean to you!

*Grab the code for the Sister to Sister link up button from the sidebar to the right, or copy and past the graphic to the left linking this post to it, and invite others to join.

Are you ready? Join me this week in inspiring other women with your thoughts on:

Love... 

Yeah, I know, that's an insanely broad topic for a little blog post. But it's the thorn that's been needling me. God is speaking to me and I'm all ears. For a couple of weeks phrases, blog posts,  bible verses, quotes, "chance" encounters have been tumbling together and forming a message.  

Things like "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:" 2 Corinthians 5:18

Or "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 

Or "Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it...but I'm afraid He may ask me the same question." Anonymous. 

Or this morning's devotion, "As I prayed I realized  that God isn't the one who is absent in Haiti or any other part of the world. It may only seem that way because so many of us are absent, withholding our prayers because or our little faith, withholding out gifts because of our little love." Immanuel; A Daily Guide to Reclaiming Christmas.

I know about love, I need love, I've received love, I'm thankful for love. But I'm starting to wonder if I live it. If love is just a conversation or if it's worked it's way down into my bones and changed how I act. 

God's message to me is clear, "you've learned now it's time to obey, love isn't love unless it's put into action, follow my example." I'm digging deep and asking Jesus to love through me those he wants to love.  The actions look different for each of us, the imperative is we act. 

It isn't as if I've never shown mercy, bought a meal for someone who's hungry, encouraged the lonely, prayed for the discouraged, sponsored poor children. Those are great actions but I'm sensing a change, a change in lifestyle. 

God is doing a new thing and insisting that I continue to grow up. He's challenging and nudging and calling me to go deeper and live more boldly. He's giving me his eyes and his heart. Instinctively I know that as I push in I will understand Jesus' heart of love more richly than ever before.

Who do you struggle to love? How do you pour out the love that you've received from Christ?


{Linking up with the Grace Cafe. Stop by and read about another kind of love, the devotion of Ruth.}