Joy in the Journey

  We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he hasn't seen. 1 John 4:19-20 Human relationships are funny things. We say that we dearly love others, our spouses, children, parents, siblings, but then they hurt us or betray us and a funny thing happens to that love, it diminishes. It shouldn't. It's perfectly understandable to feel the hurt or anger, to want a time out from the other person. It is not acceptable to stop loving them. On some occasions it seems impossible to give love but it isn't. It's a choice. I have a few people very dear to me, people who also used to be very near to me but are no longer. If I expressed a decline in my love for them most people would nod and commiserate with me. Many would give me examples of similar relationships in their own lives. Wrong! Yes, my feelings have been hurt. That

The body is a unit though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they for one body. So it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Years ago, years and years ago when I was in high school, I dated a boy, Matthew, who was on the track team at another school. He ran cross country in the fall, indoor track during the winter and outdoor track in the spring. Among his events was a relay race. In all his other events he relied only on himself but in that event, he was part of a team. Through him I learned the extreme importance of the anchor and the baton. The anchor has to finish the race. He of course, hopes that his team has set him up for an easy run into the tape but that isn't always the case. Sometimes the anchor has the unenviable task of having to make up for other runners lost time. That is second only in importance to the hand off of the baton.