love like Jesus

Tickets have been purchased. June 9-july 15.

as I was driving home from school tonight, i had a million thoughts running through my mind. it was bittersweet to leave school to come home for the first time in two months. many tears have been shed in the last several weeks, as i have left many cherished friends who have become my support and family during this year. many of them are moving on to the next big things God has in store for them, and i’m so thankful He brought our lives together for this season and to show a picture of what the Body of Christ is supposed to look like.

now that school is over, my mind and heart have been dreaming and thinking more and more about Kenya. the time is quickly approaching, and i am so thankful for time at home, to have time to reflect on this past year and to prepare for this summer. i was talking with a dear friend the other night, who has served on several long trips overseas. i asked her what “words of wisdom” she would give me for my trip, and she responded with something that sounded so simple, but really is profound. she told me to “love boldly”. Love people who are hard to love, love people as much as possible, to give fully, to love like Jesus. my time with the people of mitumba will be short, so it is worth it to love them completely, selflessly, boldly.
the Lord has been constantly reinforcing this idea in my mind through showing the strength of His love. In 2 Corinthians 5, it says “Christ’s love compels us” and then goes on to say “so from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh”. Christ’s love compels us to love, to love the way He does, to see people the way He sees them. if we regard no one according to the flesh, we see them with His eternal perspective and as His beautiful, new creation.
So this is my prayer,
that the love of the Lord would compel me to see others through His eyes and with His heart. To love boldly and set my eyes on what is eternal.

i will be posting more now that i am home and the trip is getting closer and closer. :)

love.LOVE.love.

because He first loved us.