Choose To Love

We must choose to love often, and this choice often goes hand in hand with forgiveness for past or present hurts, misunderstandings, or flat out intentional slights or wounds.  Isn't it easy to choose to love when those we love, love us and/or behave in ways we like?  When our children are obedient, getting along, and seem to finally be learning all that we have despaired of ever teaching them, it is easy to love.  When our spouse is doing everything to meet our expectations, he/she is easy to love.  When things are going smoothly in our church family, with our boss, or in any other area of life, it is easy to love.

Choosing to love someone who is being unloveable is loving like Christ loves.  Never have I seen this truth more clearly than in the last several months.  Never have I seen how far I have to go to be like Him.  You see, Christ chooses to love me (and you) even when I am unloveable.  Christ chose to love we who hated Him, rejected Him, and treated Him shamefully.   A child who joins your family through adoption will need you to choose to love them through the lovable and unloveable times.  

Because there will be both scenarios (lovable and unloveable) in your adoption story, may I encourage you? Choose to love.  It will make all the difference.