Listen to the Mustn’ts – Love Hopes
Father, mountains need to be moved, and we know that no mountain can stand before You. May Your will be done. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:7c (<<click here to read the passage)
There may be a few out there, but there’s a good chance that not many people know who Shel Silverstein is. Now, if I would ask if you’d ever heard of the children’s book The Giving Tree, that might ring a few more bells of recognition. Silverstein is the respected author of The Giving Tree and several other children’s books, including A Light in the Attic.
Here is a poem he wrote. It’s entitled, Listen to the Mustn’ts
Listen to Mustn’ts, child, listen to the Don’ts.
Listen to the Shouldn’ts, the Impossibles, the Won’ts.
Listen to the Never Haves, then listen close to me.
……Anything can happen, child, Anything can be
To my knowledge, Silverstein did not intend for these lines of verse to have any spiritual overtones, but from my perspective, at least, they do.
Even those of us who gladly embrace the concept of being children of God sometimes struggle with finding hope. We find ourselves in difficult circumstances and then find ourselves clinging tenaciously to hope. We often feel like we’re being battered in a dinghy in the middle of a raging storm. But in reality, we are standing on the solid Rock of Ages – we may be battered, but remaining in Him, we cannot be moved.
Isaiah 26:4 tells us,
“Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].” AMP
We know that is the case in our hearts, but our minds (and ears) aren’t always on board. We, the children we are, listen to the Mustn’ts and the Don’ts and the Shouldn’ts, Impossibles, Won’ts, and the Never Haves.
And though it may not have been Silverstein’s intent, after we’ve listened to them all, God calls to each of us and says, “Listen close to me. Anything can happen, child, Anything can be.”
Love…hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times]… v7c AMP
In love, there is hope, and having our love and hope in our Heavenly Father helps us remain steadfast even in the wildest of storms. He is love and in Him we can place our hope, sound and secure.
Jan 3rd, 2023, Wed, 12:35 pm
Love – Look for the Best in Each Other
A profitable day both at work and in the office. Thank You, Father, for the strength and mental ability to accomplish what I have!
1 Corinthians 13:7b (<<click here to read the passage)
Love…believes all things [looking for the best in each one]…
As a part of our personal development training today, my fellow bus drivers and I watched a video about how we, as adults, interact with our students. In the first part, all of the adults – the bus driver, the administrator at the door of the school, and the teachers basically ignored the kids – paying them no mind, or worse, derided them a majority of the time. They rode them constantly about their behavior and how poorly they were doing. The students’ actions were unacceptable, and they left no doubt in the students’ minds about it. There were no smiles, no encouragements, no love…whatsoever.
It drove home the point that students who struggle anyway would be throttled down even more. Their failure in school – and life – was all but assured.
Then, the scenario started back at the beginning. The bus driver called the student by name, acknowledging his presence with a smile and a warm greeting, then sent him with a fist bump to his seat. The administrator enthusiastically greeted each student with a smile and a hug for many of them, stating that she had been looking forward to their arrival. The teachers reacted the same way. This time, it wasn’t all about being quiet, but they encouraged their students to interact constructively with one another. Smiles abounded, encouragement was freely given…and there was love!
Instead of being throttled down, students were lifted up! Those struggling found encouragement on every front, and their success in school – and life – though not guaranteed, was more greatly assured.
As followers of Christ, we are to be eager distributors of love. Some of the people we interact with are definitely not easy to love. Some are literally in our faces, all but assuring themselves that they will get the same in return.
So, what should our responses be in not just difficult situations but all our interactions with others, young and old alike? Love…plain and simple love.
We may argue, “I know that the Bible commands me to love my neighbor as myself, but how am I supposed to do that if I don’t even like them?” Our love supply is limited. It’s weak, too. We don’t have nearly enough, and often, we are less than eager to “waste it” on the less-than-lovable.
Our source for a never-ending reservoir of love? God is that source!
Psalm 103:17 from the Amplified Bible reads,
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him…
His love is on us! We cannot keep it to ourselves! We must give it away in abundant supply! Let your love believe all things, looking for the best in each other!
Jan 2nd, 2024, Tues, 7:29 pm
Love Bears All Things
One last full day of break, thank You, Father, for time with family. Guide my thoughts for my time with You. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:7a (<<click here to read the passage)
Love bears all things [regardless of what comes]… AMP
One of the most heart-wrenching things in life is where love is lost, where once it bloomed and thrived.
One example from life occurred to a family I knew some years ago. The family is not the same as it once was, in that one member chose self over love. I’m sure that it is not a stand-alone story but one that is too often played in the lives of people across the globe. The characters and circumstances change, but sadly, the outcome is the same. There is always loss and pain when self is chosen over love.
This family included a man, a woman, and several children. Young love was beautiful and plenteous. They did not have wealth, but love was the glue that held them together. The man of the house provided well for his growing family, and things were good…until…
I don’t know what caused their catalyst of change, but change did come. And in this instance, addiction was the result. Pain meds led to addiction, and the man of the house was caught in its never-ending grasp. For a time, he fought valiantly for his freedom…his family. Love fueled the fight; it gave him the edge when many things did not. But little by little, through many battles, self began to gain ground while love began to lose ground.
His beautiful wife stalwartly stood by his side. A warrior in prayer she was, love encompassing all she did. But loss and pain were her constant companions. Until finally, the gauntlet had to be thrown to the ground. A choice had to be made. The ultimatum was given: would love of family be his choice…or love of self? She was readied for battle, but sadly, he was not. He was done, and in his heart, love had surrendered to self. Where once there had been love…now only self reigned – the end…in so many ways.
I don’t know where self led him, but love was her guide, and she and her family carried on, strengthened by that love. God honored her love and multiplied it. And today, she is blessed beyond measure.
Today’s text declares that love bears all things, and it is amplified by the phrase, regardless of what comes.
This mom, though battle-worn, would not give up her love. She did not set it aside because of her pain and loss but grasped it all the more, for she knew that the source of her love, the Lord Himself, would not let her fall. She survived the storm because she was a child of Him who calms the storm.
Lord Jesus, may your blessings continue to fall on this family. May the prodigal who exchanged love for self someday come home. May we all learn that only love, Your love, will carry us through; it will bear all things…regardless of what comes.
Jan 1st, 2024, Mon, 7:43 pm
Happy New Year!
May the Lord direct my steps in the year ahead!
Dec. 31st, 2023, Sun, 7:59 pm
Love Cannot Stand Injustice
Two Jewish girls protesting against child slavery with signs in English and Yiddish, 1909. (Photo/Library of Congress-George Grantham Bain collection)
Another year has come and gone, and here I stand on the cusp of yet another one. Father, continue to use me and help me remain strong in You. May I be Your mouthpiece to those who would hear. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:6 (<<click here to read the passage)
[Love] does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. AMP
In Matthew 5, Jesus speaks of a greater broadness of the Law. We have this nasty habit of being sticklers for the point of the Law and “conveniently” avoiding the rest. “If it doesn’t say I can’t do it, then I’m gonna do it!”
Jesus emphasized that the core of the Law Jesus is love – love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18). And in Matthew 5 He fleshed out what the Law meant by murder and adultery (Matthew 5:21-22, 28-29) – hate equals murder, lust equals adultery. That’s pretty much in our faces, but we cannot escape His words and limit love to just those two points.
Today’s passage speaks of not rejoicing at injustice but rejoicing with the truth. And I would say that it is far broader than we believe.
Looking up injustice, the Lord brought to mind a quote about doing nothing in the face of injustice being just as bad as taking part in the injustice itself. In searching for that, I found an article on Medium.com entitled 15 Inspirational Quotes About Speaking Up Against Injustice. The Scripture I have shared and the sage words of these individuals can speak for themselves.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ~ Dr Martin Luther King Jr
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” ~ Elie Wiesel
“You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” ~ Howard Zinn
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” ~ Dr Martin Luther King Jr
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” ~ Haile Selassie
Go and do what Jesus would do.
Dec 28th, 2023, Thurs, 4:04 pm