Love and Be Loved

"See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another." - 1 Thessalonians 5:15

I've been praying on this verse.  At this time in my life, it would (and has been) so easy for me to hate the people talking about me and the one "doing this" to me.  It would be easy for me to yell and scream at them, and just tell them to F off and get out of my life.  It's easy for me to curse them in my head, tighten my lips and knit my eyebrows in anger, and just to become negative and hardened.  But what good is this going to do?  God doesn't want us to hate anyone.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." - 1 John 4:7

Not only does God want us to love everyone, in a secular, non-religious sense what good is it going to do me to get angry at these people?  The negativity is going to build up in me and I will spiral even deeper into depression and despair.  All I will feel is the hatred, and I will forget the love that surrounds me.

I never knew so much love surrounded me until now.  Surrounded by a church family, my own family, my husband's family, a large group of friends and prayer warriors online, and a few acquaintances in the area, and yet I still felt completely alone almost all the time.  The fact was that I had no love IN me to feel it FOR me.

I reached out to a group of friends and family who I felt would hold me together during this time a couple weeks ago.  There were a few that I were mistaken in thinking that they would want to stand behind me in this difficult time, but the majority of them check in on me daily, listen to my thoughts and prayers and woes and such, they pray for me and my family, and they tell me constantly that they love me.  I needed that as I haven't felt it in years.  But more over, I needed to feel it from God and within me. I needed to GIVE love too.

Love and positivity are feeding me right now.  When I start thinking anything negative whether it be doubt in my faith and what God is doing or if it's a negative thought about someone else and their actions, I pray (I told you I pray almost every minute of the day).

God, take this negative thought and feeling away from me. Fill me with love.  Help me focus on what is good in everything.  And through me bring good to others.  Amen.