all you need is love.

photo courtesy of We Heart It

step one 

LOVE.

"If I speak with 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 have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

Love is not simple. It is complex and at times, quite difficult. For me, love is the hardest obstacle to overcome. I greatly struggle with love.  At times, I wrestle with the idea of being able to love everyone. I know that not every person can be my best friend (as Annie G. likes to point out that I have too many "best" friends when they are really just acquaintances), but every person deserves to be treated equally. BUT sometimes, there's just the select few that I simply don't get. I just want to ask them "Are you for real?" or "Did you really just say that?" And then I must remember, that everyone is different for a reason.  

However, when I forget that simple fact... I begin to categorize. It's an awful flaw of mine. I think it's in our innate nature... to judge. It's at that exact moment when we form this misconception/bubble around the person based on that one impression or an accumulation of rumors, gossip, and awkward interactions. And then we justify our actions with "Isn't it just easier to hate loathe/dislike. Isn't it better to just ignore them? They're just so weird."

Well frankly, "No, that's not right." 

This statement should forever be imprinted on my hand every time I do something wrong.

God so loved the world that He let His only Son die for us.  

Note* He loved the world. World = EVERYONE. 

Not just me, you, your BFF, the fam bam, etc.. It was for EVERYONE, sinners & all. 

So to be a better person... it's loves.hugs.&.warm.fuzzies.for.everyone. No matter the drama, the history, rumors and all, loving someone at the most difficult time/in awkward situations/no matter the differences... that is the greatest gift anyone can give. That is being a better person. It is being a man/woman for others. 

And that's how you differentiate between the strong and the weak. The question is, are we willing to be strong? Can we give our love to those we don't like? 

Can we omit the word hate?

I'm trying to be a better person, which will be my life goal. And my quest to love will be an on-going journey. It'll be rough. There will be obstacles and struggles and when I hit the crossroads between the two different paths (to be strong or remain weak), I hope that God will help instill in me the courage and strength to choose love.