Love

"If you take one step toward the Savior, my friend, you'll find His arms open wide..."

It's a line from a hymn that is not particularly beautiful or profound. I love it because it's TRUE. And it's the thing I've wanted to find throughout my life. Unconditional love.

I thought I had it with my family. Close, but... no. Then I thought I had it with a guy who later admitted he didn't really care about me. Friends... I've always wanted a group of really close friends, particularly girlfriends... I now know that I wouldn't even find it there.

I'm pretty quick to call people out on their conditional love- especially the people who exude disapproval because they have different beliefs or opinions than I do. The sad truth is that I don't love people unconditionally either. Not even close.

The conditions aren't so much their beliefs and standards, but their personalities, and the things they've said to me.

I judge the girls who snap at the socially awkward girl at church, but I don't even say hi to the drama king I work with. "I don't want to get him started," I think. "I'm tired. I can't deal with his drama today. I'll be nice to him tomorrow..."

I think when we experience God's love, the unconditional quality of it rubs off on us a little bit. Like walking into a perfume shop and carrying a whiff of some delicate scent out with us when we leave. And we need to experience God's unconditional love again and again and again so we can give it to other people. Because otherwise, we can't. We just don't have it in us.