My Love Goal

My Love Training Ground

Love is more than a feeling. More than saying, “I love you.” More than using the ❤ emoji a million times. Love is action, especially when we don’t feel like it. 

It’s easy to love people when they are like us or are nice to us. Unfortunately we meet a lot of people who do not fit into that category. How about the

• cranky cashier at the grocery store?
• rude teenager living in your home?
• inconsiderate neighbor who let’s their dog poop in your yard? 
• self-centered boyfriend/girlfriend who talks about themselves constantly?
• demanding customer that never leaves a tip?

Cranky, rude, inconsiderate self-centered, demanding. Sounds a lot like me at times. I am thankful that I have people in my life who love me even when I act in ways that are not very loveable. 

My lifetime goal is to love like Jesus loved. I Corinthians 13 guides me and reminds me how to love. Be patient. Be kind. Be content with what I have and don’t boast about it. Serve others and not myself. Keep my anger in check. Forgive others. Always protect, trust, hope, and persevere. It is my goal to practice this love and put it into action.

Some tangible ways that I will practice love are to

• Hold my tongue instead of yelling at my husband in anger.
• Listen to a friend when I have a to-do list a mile long.
• Give my favorite (fill-in-the-blank) to someone in need.
• Say “I’m sorry” unsarcastically (and being truly sorry).
• Answer the phone even when I know it’s going to be a difficult conversation.
• Let the other car have the parking space or hold the door open for someone. 
• ‘Let it go’ when someone is rude to me.

I looked up the lyrics to the Beatles “All You Need Is Love” song (yes, there are other words besides those five). The words “It’s easy” caught my attention. I don’t believe love is easy. It takes work to love people. I know I will not be perfect in reaching my love goal. Sometimes I will fail. During those times, I hope that others will show their love for me by being patient and forgiving me…again.