Alive to love

One of my favourite blogs is Jamie Delaine's. She's a young woman who lives in Vancouver, and she writes beautiful posts reflecting on her faith and growth (as well as posting amazing photographs).

In this post, she focuses on love in friendships, and dealing with our own inadequacies. I hope you enjoy it.

Alive to love
Written by Jamie Delaine
Original post here, 3 Jul 2012


We are alive to love. It’s our purpose. It’s the greatest commandment. And the hardest one. Maybe you don’t struggle with this. But I find loving people hard. It’s hard work. I’m not afraid of hard work. But this is hard, hard work. all of my strengths are centred around working autonomously, uninterrupted, and finding the most efficient way to do something. i’m task-oriented. People bring problems. My first reaction has always been isolation: I don’t want to deal with your problems. How easily I forget that Jesus patiently and graciously deals with ALL of mine… and calls me to His standard of love.

I’ve always been a bit of a loner. This is going to sound terrible but given a choice between no friends and frustrating friends, as a teenager I choose no friends. Sure, I had “friends” but only in recent years have I built deep friendships. And through these deep friendships, I’ve discovered some shocking facts. 1) ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DIFFERENT THAN ME. She processes things really strange! He responds so emotionally! Why is she overwhelmed with this situation?! Why was he offended when I said that? EVERYONE NEEDS TO CALM DOWN! 2) I am prideful.

Life is easy in the shallow end of the pool. Everyone has their feet planted on the bottom. We can stand on our own. But life in the deep end doesn’t happen alone: I’m floundering and I can’t stay afloat myself. I need you to push me to Jesus. He’s floundering and can’t stay afloat by himself. He needs us to push him to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says Christ is changing us into His image, taking us from glory to glory.

I am not a finished project.
You are not a finished project.

God has created people with unique strengths, fears and communication styles all for one goal: build His church. My weaknesses are not “stronger” weaknesses than your “weak” weaknesses. You’re hard to love and I’m hard to love. But sin is the great equalizer. Christ died on the cross, full of extravagant love for weak people like ME!

I’ve read the following passages from Romans [in The Message translation] every day for the past month. Paul’s words have been revealing my sin afresh and reminding me of my desperate need for Grace. Check it out.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it.
Be good friends who love deeply;
practice playing second fiddle.
Get along with each other;
don’t be stuck-up.
Make friends with nobodies;
don’t be the great somebody.
Don’t hit back;
discover beauty in everyone. [!!!]
If you’ve got it in you,
get along with everybody.
Don’t insist on getting even;
that’s not for you to do.
- Romans 12

“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them [!!!] every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.” Romans 14 – [HOW GOOD IS THIS?]

“Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help?’ That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, [!!!!!] but waded right in and helped out. ‘I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us.” Romans 15

- Jamie Delaine