How often do I find myself wanting to open up and let the wall down, but my head seems to get in the way of my heart! We all seem to get pressed into the world’s mold of putting on the mask and playing the game. How beautiful it is to be real and honest, yet how scary and rare!
Love comes easier to us when we are young. Perhaps it’s because we are naive and haven’t been hurt yet. Or maybe it’s because we don’t use our minds as much as our hearts. We live in the moment and by our feelings. Experience tells us this is not a very wise way to live, but why do we all look back on the days of our youth—those days of fun, excitement, possibility, and adventure—as our best days? Do we simply run out of courage to live that way as we get older? Do we become too risk adverse? Do our hearts grow cold? Or do we just become wiser?
I guess I’m a hopeless romantic that’s learned to be realistic and wise in this evil world. But I miss those days when I was full of dreams and hope and love. Sometimes I don’t like my cynical outlook and tough exterior. Sometimes I get tired of being strong, and I just want to let down the wall and tell everyone, “See, I’m just as scared and bewildered as you are!”
We’re all just trying to do our best to make it in this world. One thing I wish that we didn’t have to worry about is money. It sure seems like it sidetracks us from the more important issues of life. I just recently watched again a movie where one of the themes was how love trumps money. Yet we don’t have the luxury of not worrying about it at all. A lack of money can cause insecurity, stress, and general misery. An excess of it can cause pride, greed, and selfishness. I’d rather not even have to think much about it. I want to spend my time on happier items such as love, truth, mercy, and knowledge.
I was also thinking about how harsh we are with each other. We are so judgmental and critical of people who are struggling just to make it through the day. What a difference it would make if we just showed love and mercy to the people in our lives! In the movie I mentioned above, the love between the two characters was so powerful. They were able to forgive serious transgressions because the love they shared was more important than things like money or grudges.
I guess one of the things I’m learning is to be more compassionate and understanding toward people. When I think about regrets in my life, some of the things that stand out are where I mistreated people. You will never regret treating people right.
I saw a meme on social media the other day. It showed Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas with the little Christmas tree. It said:
“I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”
I wonder how many people are like that little tree. They just need a little love. When you are hurt or angry or discouraged, it’s amazing what a kind act by people who care about you can do for your soul. Recently, I had some people do a couple of very kind acts for me, and it completely changed my outlook on things.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Matthew 7:1-2
I think about the many people out there in this cruel world who don’t get much love. And when you consider it, you start to feel more compassionate about the way they may act or the way they may be living. I think about the verse above that tells us not to judge. If we heed this verse, we begin to view people differently.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that we need to love one another. It’s not a new concept. Jesus told us this in John 13:34. The Apostle Paul also informs us in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that the greatest of these is love. It’s not that we don’t know it. It’s that we either forget it or find it too hard to carry out.
Let’s focus on what really matters. Let’s not get sidetracked by things like our ego, what people might think or say about us, or greed. Let’s hold love in high esteem.
Wesley’s Writings 