I try my best to actually Read during "Silent Reading" time in my class. While there are many other things I could be doing, I intentionally take this time to 1. model for my students what it looks like to read 2. enjoy a good book. Before the Christmas break I read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. Typically we have silent reading three times a week but I'm pretty sure we had silent reading every day that week so I could finish my book!
In a world where everything is controlled in order to protect its citizens from any harm, hurt or pain, one person bears the memories of a time when the world was much different- when the people had "free will." Being the bearer of all the memories of times past is an honour in the society. The sad part is that the One who holds the memories isn't allowed to share them with anyone else. The time came for someone new to bear the memories (to be the Receiver), so the current giver had to hand over all of the memories he had. Some of the memories were wonderful- such as Christmas, snow, family and love and some were terrible and sad- like war, famine, pain and loss. The boy who was the Receiver felt new things he had never experienced before in his life. He understood new emotions. He felt deeply. He had never understood love (in his world) the way he was able to in the memories. Yet, he also felt sorrow like he never had before.
As I read this story I couldn't help but think, "I'm the Receiver!" I could relate to experiencing such depth of emotions. I believe I feel deeply because I love deeply. I care for others deeply. I love others. When you love others, there are moments of tremendous joy and there are moments of sorrow. When you love others, you heart is enlarged. My friend LaQueta told me about her time serving with Heidi Baker in Mozambique. She said, "I remember some of the visitors to the missions base in Mozambique watching the children get so attached to them and then both they and the kids were crying when they left. Some of the visitors decided maybe it wasn't good to even get close to the kids in the first place. But Heidi always said "It's always better to love." And she's right." Those words stick. I've wondered if everyone has this desire to genuinely love others. Maybe it's the gift of Mercy or maybe it's the heart of an intercessor. Maybe it's the way we were raised, or life experiences or something else that has enlarged our hearts, but whatever it is, I believe it is God's heart to Love. When we choose to love, we choose the Jesus way. Jesus is love.
I was reading "The Giver" around Jesse's birthday and it made me reflect on his life. When I called his mom to let her know I remembered his birthday and was thinking about her, I ended the conversation by saying, "I love you." Crazy to love her? No! I love this woman and I always will. Crazy to love some of the people in my life? Perhaps. But Jesus always chooses love. Jesus is love. I choose to walk in love. By walking in love I will live this "abundant life" that I always refer to. It will include pain and sadness at times and it will include joy and celebration at other times. I've seen some people who put up walls around themselves in order to protect themselves. I've seen them put up all their defences so they won't get hurt (again). Sure enough, they won't get hurt, but sadly they prohibit themselves from experiencing Abundant life! Now, that's sad to watch. So although it is difficult to love deeply sometimes, I believe it is closer to experiencing the Father's heart than if we had merely stayed at bay and not cared. Genuine love doesn't love to get something. Genuine love loves because the other person is seen as a Pearl of great value.
Ephesians 3 says, "For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
This passage has recently gripped me! In my recent reading and studying of this passage (thanks David), I've come to see the parallel between what I've been experiencing (depth of emotions) and what Paul prays that we will experiencing- the dimensions of God's love. This is a rich passage. So I pray that I would know more of this Love- in the times when it's wonderful and you feel on top of the world and in those moments when all you can do is cling to Jesus.
