Choosing HIS Love

About a month ago, I made a stop at a McDonalds near Downtown Denver.  It was a bitterly cold day and I was really looking forward to a nice hot cup of coffee.  Despite the cold, there were only a few people in the restaurant.  Among those was a middle-aged looking couple.  As I walked by their table, the lady made a passing comment to me.  After stopping and chatting with them for a few moments, I realized that the lady was very drunk.  I gave them both a gospel tract and tried to witness to them but the lady stopped me, "You know how you can help me?  Can I have your hat and your scarf?  It's cold out there and I don't even have a place to stay."  Immediately, my inward spirit revolted a bit at her request.  I thought, "How rude!  You don't just ask someone for their stuff!"  and "But...these are my favorite...someone made them for me.  They're special...I'm not going to give them to some drunk person that could have spent their money on a hat and a scarf rather than on a bottle of booze."  Then another voice whispered to me, "So, you love that hat and scarf more than Me?"  And then it hit me...God was wanting to teach me another lesson.  I took my hat and scarf and gave it to the lady.  Another lady from our church that was with me had overheard our conversation and had purchased some hamburgers and fries for the couple.  She brought it over and set it down on the table.  I tried to witness to the couple again but in their intoxicated state, it was nearly impossible.  I left them with our tract and went back out to the car. 

Tears ran down my cheeks as I realized part of the truth that God wanted to show me.   True love...Christlike love is not a feeling.  It isn't giving to those that deserve it or those that can reciprocate it.  It isn't even giving to those that realize the value of what you are giving.  It is pouring out to those that are unlovable...even to those that are untrustworthy.  It is looking at the people that have broken your heart and maybe even broken your trust and CHOOSING His love.  That is something that I can NOT do in my humanity.  MY love says, "I have given you my heart, my trust, and my love...you have betrayed me and hurt me...I'm going to put up my walls...crawl into my shell and keep myself from ever being hurt like that again."  HIS love constantly pours out over and over...despite the way that we ignore Him, disobey Him, and even, at times, blame Him.  HIS love walks the road to Calvary for the very people who are spitting on Him...beating Him...forsaking Him.  HIS love pours out for the blaspheming thief on the cross as well as for the repentant thief.   Wow.  And God once again whispers to my heart, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that HE LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."