To truly love one another....

When you look healthy, but you are not, not even close. When you look like you have it all going on, but you don't.....

1 Samuel 16:7

New International Version (NIV)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Its been my experience this year, actually my whole life, to look something I am not. Doctors have often marvelled at my low heart rate saying, your heart beats slowly, "like your an athlete". Hahahahahah, that's funny I think to myself, if they only knew how nonathletic I am. People going back to my youth would see me and exclaim how athletic I appear. People, even recently have commented on how together I am and appear. People including doctors comment on how I don't look like a chemo patient.

My wife gets this too, she is seen as miss proper. Well miss proper she is not, I can assure you of that!! She is real though.

To many, we are what we appear on the surface, people who struggle with their weight are seen as fat, people who seem to have it all going on are seen as such. A beautiful person is known for their beauty even though they likely long for people to respect and love them for who they are. Former NHLer Wade Belak was seen as having it all (see link, a powerful story and reminder). LANDSBERG: HIS DEPRESSION AND HIS FRIEND, WADE BELAK.

I know what it is like to be seen as someone who has it going on, but I also know I am the only one besides God who knows how I really feel, who knows how change in my life has impacted me in so many ways. I know what's behind the smile and the jokes.

The point is do we take the time to look beyond what we see and truly invest in those around us? Do we know each others heart?

Stuff happens all the time that surprises us, couples separate and we all exclaim "who knew there were issues", people like Wade commit suicide and we say "I had no idea they were struggling". People do something completely out of the norm and we say "that's not like them".

Do we know those around us for who they are? Better yet do I/you take the time to invest in those around us, to do whats important, to truly "Love one Another"? Are we so stuck in our superficial lifestyle that suggests we have it all if we have material things, that we don't take the time to do what's important, to truly "Love one Another"? Are we so busy that we only have time to shoot off a brief text, not that it's all bad, but it likely is if that's all we are ever prepared to do? Are we so busy that we don't take time to listen? We have all done it, tried to show care in various ways, but what most people crave is a listening ear. Are we prepared to invest, do we take the time to chat with our kids, with our loved ones, with those around us and to listen? I have been truly blessed when I invest, when I take the time to invest. My kids surprise me at their mature views when I take time to chat with them. They have been such a blessing to me. My marriage is nourished when I take the time to invest in it, when I take the time to walk and talk or both with my special girl.

 We leap for joy at fun opportunities, at opportunities that typically lead to short term fulfilment, perhaps it is a night out, a sporting event, etc., but do I/we have enough of a servants heart to listen to another heart, to do what's really important? Do I just let those opportunities go?

Those close to Wade have to live with the knowledge of what they did or didn't do. What will I do, what will you do to invest in what's most important, "relationships"? If you don't have love you don't have nuttin (my daughters wording)

Love Song - Third Day (New)

"Don't Have Love" - Christian singer Holly Starr