SCRIPTURE: Psalm 145:17 (TM)
Everything God does is
right - the trademark on all his works is love.
STORY as told by J. Allan
Peterson:
Newspaper columnist and minister
George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her
husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before
I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."
Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious
plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how
much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to
be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please
him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of
your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb.
Tell him that your're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With
revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will
he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as
if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving,
reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready
now to go through with the divorce?"
"Divorce?" she
exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions
had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is
established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.
OBSERVATION:
Getting
it right is a challenge. We make so many mistakes. We work real hard at being
right… all the time… so much so that others wouldn’t call our trademark of our
lives love. In fact, we keep love at arms length just so we can be right.
Some
of us would rather be right that we are willing to sacrifice the lives of
others. We walk over them, on them and through them. Principle is all that
matters. We would rather be right than sorry. If we allow love to come in then
our being right would have to leave the room.
The
words, “I’m sorry” never grace our lips. We hold to a position so steadfastly
that we loose control of our heart and soul. Just like the wife in the Peterson
story. She allowed her attitude to get in the way of loving her husband, but
when she changed her attitude her love for her husband grew.
It
is the half-empty/half-full syndrome. We see what we want to see. Isn’t it
great to realize that no matter what happens in our lives God always sees us
with eyes of love. God calls upon us to look at others with the same attitude.
May it be truly our trademark.
PRAYER:
Help
me to see others as you see them Lord… with eyes of love.
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