I've been reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan this week. It's really good. I'm about halfway through right now and am excited to read the rest. It starts out pretty basic but don't rush or skip the first couple chapters, we all need to be reminded of the simple things sometimes. There are some neat computer things he wants you to look at. I did them the first time, but when he tells you to watch them again..................... I just skipped that!
I was reading it at a pizza parlor fund raiser my church was having for the youth group. I can usually block off the world pretty good when I'm reading, my own little bubble you know? I was having a hard time because there was lots of noise and it was hot. There was a girl at my table sticking her ear buds in my ears. Then I came to this one spot. I read through it once and my whole world shrank down to those words on the page.
It was one of those put your name into the bible verse type things, I'm usally not that into those but this one hit me and hit me hard! Some of this next part is directly from the book, other parts are me, so don't be disappointed if when you read the book that my wonderful additions aren't there! The author is talking about how the word love is overused and has lost it's meaning. We love pizza and we love our parents. We love TV shows and we love our soul mates. What does God mean by love? He tells us in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Take the phrase Love is patient and substitute your name for the word love (for me, "Katy is patient...") now do this with every phrase in the passage. Whoa, right? I've read those verses how many times and I love them. But, by putting my name in there it turned on the proverbial light bulb, I do not love like this. God wants me to love His world like this and I don't. I try sometimes and maybe even partly succeed but catch me when I'm tired or annoyed and you won't feel much love coming from my direction!
This is something I need to tattoo across my eyelids so I don't forget it! Try it for yourself, if you haven't already and see how it changes your outlook on love. Or maybe it won't change much in your way of viewing the world, but like I mentioned earlier we all need to be reminded of the simple things at times! So, go ahead and while your at it, pick up a copy of the book as well. We all need some more lovin' in our lives, right?=)
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