You want me to love who?

Okay, let's not sugar coat it...we all have someone in our life that totally irritates us. Someone we have a really hard time loving, in fact, we might even say we just don't love him or her at all and we don't want to either. The unfortunate truth is that we cannot go on this way...unloving, bitter and resentful towards others. I was awaken at 2 a.m. this morning, not sure if it was the rain or the Spirit, probably a combination of the two, and got up to read 1 John. God you are too clever in the way you approach my call to Sacred Scripture. I haven't read this book in quite some time, and I can see now it was a necessity at this time to lay eyes back on those pages. Thank you, Jesus.

So, here is what I saw, over and over again, we must love one another as God loves us, because as we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection... It further screams into my heart, leaving no room for misinterpretation or lack of understanding: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
(I'm taking most of this from 1 John 4). Really, Jesus? Even those people that get under my skin, those people who are rude, insensitive and lack compassion? The ones that make me feel like I am the size of an ant next to a dinosaur? You want me to love them too??  And, His response... DRUM ROLL PLEASE....is a simple, but resounding YES.

Let me get to the point: God knows everything and since He knows everything, and He only gives us what we can truly handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), we have to know that He not only filters through circumstances/situations in our life, but also each person who comes into our life. Even those difficult to love ones. There are no coincidences with God. Everyone has a part in the grand story of salvation. So, let's do our part and love others as God loves them. For if we really love God, we will love our brothers and sisters.


And, don't kill me readers, but I am sadly, but truthfully reminded of the wise words of Barney-- yes the purple dinosaur that everyone hates (see, we already have one person we can begin to reconcile our hearts with and try to love):
"I love you, you love me, we're a happy family." 
Now, how many happy families do you know when it's just I love you, you hate me? As the body of Christ, we are all one big family...and since we are all here in this together, we might as well be happy. So, love, as you are loved!