Sunday, September 13, 2015

Love. Is. A. Verb.

Love is a verb.  I can't seem to get that phrase out of my head.  I haven't been well.  Hopefully I will be feeling better soon.  Until then, I have to go see yet another doctor and have yet more tests. It's fine and I'm not too concerned, I'm mostly bored and frustrated that I cannot do the things that are part of my every day life.  I have no energy.  It's annoying.

I have had a lot of time to think.  I called my dad to ask him medical history questions.  It was an information gathering phone call.  The thing with my dad is...he is really busy.  He has a wife (not my mother), two step sons, one step daughter, and three step grandchildren.  Two of whom he babysits for every week day.  He doesn't call.  He doesn't visit.  He doesn't acknowledge birthdays or Christmas with us anymore.  It started as an experiment really.  I used to call.  Then I realized I always call.  Never does my phone ring and it's him.  It just doesn't happen.  So I thought to myself, I wonder if I don't call, how long it will take before he calls me.  The answer is 18 months.  Eighteen months until my husband invited him to breakfast.  A breakfast in which he said he didn't want to see me if I were going to give him a guilt trip.  I called and wished him a happy birthday and a happy father's day in June.  I didn't talk to him until I saw him in August when I helped to move my grandmother into an assisted living facility.  He was an hour late and he left without saying goodbye.  He had a soccer game to get to.  I'm not mad.  I'm disappointed.  So when I called to get medical history information he wanted to know what was wrong.  I told him and he seemed concerned in between telling me that he didn't understand and that he would call me and he would try to come see me.  It's funny really how empty words can be.

Love is a verb.  It requires action.  I don't mean big grand gestures.  Love is in the everyday.  Love is in the three word text.  Love is in a phone call.  Love is in lunch.  Love is a hug. Love is in movie choices.  Love is in small gestures.  Love can be found anywhere but it requires action.  Otherwise it is just a word.  A word no more interesting or relevant to anything than the word pepperoni.

I'm prepared to take it a step forward.  Let's connect the dots.  1 John 4:8 says, "Whoever does not love does not know God; because God is love."  And if we believe that God is love then we have faith in God.  And if we have faith in God then action is required.  James 2: 14-26 says "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."  Do you see it?  Have you connected the dots?

Love is a verb.  It's more than a feeling of adoration although it is certainly that as well.  It's more than an attraction.  It's more than what is seen on a movie screen.  It requires action, not empty promises like, "Hey we should get coffee sometime." or "Hey I'll call you."  and then you never do.  I get it.  Life is busy.  I am busy when I'm not told I have to rest by medical professionals.  Which actually may be part of my problem and why I'm being forced to slow down.  It makes sense.  I get being busy but without relationships what do we have?  Facebook?  Facebook is a joke.  Don't get me wrong I'm as hooked on that blue icon as anyone but what if we weren't.  What if that weren't our only means of communication?  You don't like to call?  Text.  You don't have texting?  Stop by.  Whatever it is we must have human connection or what are we doing here?  What purpose do we serve?

I'm the phone call person.  I make the call.  If I want to do anything I'm the one who calls.  Sometimes people take me up on my offer of a movie or a coffee or lunch, sometimes they don't.  But one person cannot be the only person who makes the calls.  Eventually someone else has to make a call because the person always making the calls is going to get tired.  They are going to get tired and they might just have an awakening.  What if I don't make the call?  What if I'm they just aren't interested?  What if they just don't care?  What if I'm just not loved?  And who wants that?  Whether it is true or not true the devil seeks to destroy.  He hates relationships.  He wants nothing more than get in there when you are down and make you think things that just aren't true.  Frankly if I'm not loved by someone I just don't want to know.  I prefer to just love my family and friends blindly.  You don't like it?  Fine ok, but you cannot change who I am.  If you don't want to be a part of my life I can take a hint.  Don't talk to me for about 18 months, I will catch on.  It won't change my behavior though.  Oh I'll leave you alone.  But I will most certainly pray for a change.  I will pray and I will love until my last breath because love is a verb, and while some things are not in my power to change, I'm the daughter of a king.  I serve an awesome God and he is a great dad and a great friend.

Love is a verb.  Pepperoni is pepperoni.  God doesn't stop being God just because you don't believe or you don't act.  Pepperoni doesn't stop being pepperoni just because you don't eat it.  The difference is Love requires action.  That's it.  That's what I've come up with.  Months of not writing. Months of waiting for the words to come.  This is what I've got.  Love one another.  Act.  Call. Text. Show up.  For the love of all that is holy do not let the younger generation think that they are ok just sitting in front of a screen because they can talk to people there.  It's just not right. Make the kids go outside to play.  Do not let your daughter go on a a date with a boy who asks over a screen.  Human interaction.  It's a good thing.  Pass it on.  

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