Summer of Love

It’s summer time, and the girls are swarming.
Bless all the poor boys who claim an address on this dead-end street. 
Girls rule around here.
Bare feet, sun-dried hair and tanned limbs.  It’s the way of the cul-de-sac.

Most days the doorbell rings before breakfast.  They’re ready to play. 
Even as I type there are seven little mommas happily playing upstairs. 
{I think one of them might be getting married in a few minutes.  I’m sure it will be a lovely ceremony.}

Most of the time, life among these handfuls of girls is summertime bliss.
But not always.
We’ve already had our fair share of tears. 

After a few talks with my two little darlings {plus the boy}, I’ve decided it’s time to pull out the big guns and implement …  

Yes. This summer, our focus is going to be on loving others well. 
Using 1 Corinthians 13 as our guide, we will be looking for opportunities to show love the JESUS way:

Love is patient, {it waits for others without losing it}
love is kind. {it reaches out to do good to others}
It does not envy, {it doesn’t want what it doesn’t have}
it does not boast, {it doesn’t brag or show off to get attention}
it is not proud. {it doesn’t think about itself all the time}
It is not rude, {it doesn’t act improperly or with disrespect} 
it its not self-seeking, {it doesn’t always think about itself or say “me first”}
it is not easily angered, {it doesn’t get mad easily or blow up at others}
it keeps no record of wrongs. {it doesn’t keep track of others sins or hold a grudge}
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. {it doesn’t applaud wrongdoing but supports and cheers on truth}
It always protects, {it looks out for others and bears all things}
always trusts, {it never stops believing}
always hopes, {it always looks for the best}
always perseveres. {it never gives up}
Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Whew. 

We sat around the dinner table this week and talked about this verse and our Summer of Love.  We talked about how we’ll need to remind each other of Truth and encourage one another along the way.  We talked about how parents need to practice love just as much as kids, and how loving this way doesn’t require more from us but less …
We don’t love better by trying harder. We love better by yielding more.
Less self.  More Jesus.
That’s how love really happens the Jesus way.

It might take us all summer long, but we’re going to learn this verse.  We’re going to post it on the front of our fridge, and ask Jesus to write it on the walls of our heart. 

This summer is going to be our Summer of Love.
Care to join us?