A wonderful sentiment – love is patient, kind and not boastful, yet we all know this to be untrue, perhaps more than it is true. Being a caregiver can try anyone’s patience and if our loved one is ill and cranky, kindness can also be in short supply. Times like this, we are called to ‘believe in the enfolding, nurturing, transforming Love of God.’ (S. Ruth Burrows, Essence of Prayer)
Even when we fall short, our hearts intention is to live in God’s will as a loving and compassionate person. Our recourse is to pray for our love to expand daily. Through kindness toward others, our minds and hearts can open to peace. Cutting one another some slack, empowers us also to be kind to ourselves, a needed ingredient.
We require others to support us in our journey as caregivers and to remind us not to give away our gift of peace, allowing ourselves to be loved. Spiritual writer Richard Rohr says, “God doesn’t love you because you’re good, God loves you because God is good.” Can we have comfort that ‘radical grace’ never stops giving? Gratefully, God’s love is not dependent on our actions and we are encouraged to ask for help with our hopeful intention to be loving and kind.
Our youth are brainwashed into believing that happiness depends on stuff and in truth, only God’s love (not love that is superior or dishonest) can fulfill our lives. Love can cover ‘anything’ one day at a time and humor is one of the best ways to make the unbearable bearable.
St. John of the Cross writes, “In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.” Love covers all and begins with loving ourselves as we are, not as we hope to be. Do you agree? We welcome comments.