Earlier this morning I was listening to the "Feist" station on Pandora and I was surprised by how many "love songs" were playing. I guess I typically avoid that kind of music (even though I do like Feist). However, It is pretty difficult to listen to pop music of any kind without hitting a "love song". Now you many be wondering why I am putting "love song" in quotes. I felt compelled to put it in the quotations because as I was listening to the lyrics (a very important part of the music for me) I realized just how selfish and childish sounding most of the songs were. They were not so much about love that endures, a love that is faithful like the one described in 1 Corinthians 13, but about a feeling, even sometimes it seemed, just hormonal compulsion, and maybe at it's grandest, a reflection on life.
Now, to many people, maybe this is what "love" is...I don't know. Yeah, it probably is. :o( How disappointing and trite if that's what "love" relationships end up being.
I am grateful that Jesus calls me to a much greater love than that. I am grateful for the imperfection and yet commitment I experience through Chris and my marriage. We have our struggles but our marriage (our love) is based on something and Someone who created the Heavens and Earth and sustains them by His being. Our "love" (blast that word, it's been so abused!) is something that expands with us. It is not in a dream, it is not in a vaccuum. It is shaped and forged and strengthened and even spilled out in and on a community of friends and family.
I am going to put all of 1 Corinthians 13 on here and I want to note that I know this isn't about a marriage or love relationship -- but it's explanation of love is the one all kinds of love need -- friendship, family, marriage, community, etc. How much greater and deeper and richer is that love of Jesus (and how much greater and deeper and richer does it make our lives).
1 Corinthians 13
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice with unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge , it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; bu the greatest of these is love."
Showing posts with label great love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great love. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Friday, December 10, 2010
small things with great love
I've been reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and it's simultaneously very challenging and very inspiring. One of the people he quotes in his book is Mother Teresa (who he "interned" with in Calcutta for a summer), she emphasizes that we do "small things with great love" rather than focusing on doing "big" things with little love. That is something I've been thinking about and trying to practice lately. I have found myself doing this as I just take each day as it comes (although to be real sometimes I also fail miserably).
Today I substitute taught in a school that I always brace myself for because there is bound to be chaos and lots of misbehavior. However, I felt like today went rather well considering. I actually got some help from a social worker who sat in a majority of the classes leading one of the reading groups. It helped tremendously to have her there! Also, I had a few bright points in my day where I got to share personally with the kids (middle schoolers). I introduced myself to this general "advisory" class that is supposed to focus on study skills and the like and I actually told them I like substitute teaching because it's different every day and I like variety. I also told them that I like sledding and had all the kids share one thing they like about winter. All in all, it was fun to hear their responses. Then, later, I was trying to teach a small group of girls about goal setting and I was using an example of myself and how I like to write songs and this one cute Hmong girl just lit up when I told them that. She said, "You write songs, like rap?" I told her no, more like folk or pop rock. She was still interested though :0)
Later in the day, after we had read through an article and answered some questions about it I let a boy draw and he showed me the anime characters he could draw and told me how it took him a really long time to learn to draw them. I showed him how to do some of the "mathy" drawings Vi Hart does and I gave him the web address (you should check it out - Vihart.com!) so he could learn how to draw/doodle more cool things. It was fun to connect with kids in that way.
I've just realized, I guess, that as I come in to substitute I have to have an attitude of love because I am doing this not just to get a paycheck but help children learn and they will only want to learn if they know I love them (even if it's hard to show in just one day, I can show them somewhat by how I respond to them and my attitude overall). It truly matters. I only want them to learn things because I love them anyway (and I am called to love all people because God made them, and the Holy Spirit helps me do this). Lord knows I always need his grace to do this in all areas in my life. Life is about small things with great love, not "big" things without much love.
Today I substitute taught in a school that I always brace myself for because there is bound to be chaos and lots of misbehavior. However, I felt like today went rather well considering. I actually got some help from a social worker who sat in a majority of the classes leading one of the reading groups. It helped tremendously to have her there! Also, I had a few bright points in my day where I got to share personally with the kids (middle schoolers). I introduced myself to this general "advisory" class that is supposed to focus on study skills and the like and I actually told them I like substitute teaching because it's different every day and I like variety. I also told them that I like sledding and had all the kids share one thing they like about winter. All in all, it was fun to hear their responses. Then, later, I was trying to teach a small group of girls about goal setting and I was using an example of myself and how I like to write songs and this one cute Hmong girl just lit up when I told them that. She said, "You write songs, like rap?" I told her no, more like folk or pop rock. She was still interested though :0)
Later in the day, after we had read through an article and answered some questions about it I let a boy draw and he showed me the anime characters he could draw and told me how it took him a really long time to learn to draw them. I showed him how to do some of the "mathy" drawings Vi Hart does and I gave him the web address (you should check it out - Vihart.com!) so he could learn how to draw/doodle more cool things. It was fun to connect with kids in that way.
I've just realized, I guess, that as I come in to substitute I have to have an attitude of love because I am doing this not just to get a paycheck but help children learn and they will only want to learn if they know I love them (even if it's hard to show in just one day, I can show them somewhat by how I respond to them and my attitude overall). It truly matters. I only want them to learn things because I love them anyway (and I am called to love all people because God made them, and the Holy Spirit helps me do this). Lord knows I always need his grace to do this in all areas in my life. Life is about small things with great love, not "big" things without much love.
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