It's all about Love ©2006 When God puts people together, there is always a reason and it is usually beyond our understanding. Whether it be a couple, family, children, friends, church or co-workers, there is always a relationship dynamic occuring. When we think that relationships are happenstance and we can pick and choose who we want to be friends with or relate with, we are interfering with God's plan. If we think we are too good to be friends with someone because of their faults or failures, we are being self-righteous and egotistic. God says, there is no difference between people in the Spirit. Ga 3:28- "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (We are all "one" in our higher consciousness")" How can we possibly learn to love in God's unconditional love when we continually put conditions on who we associate with. When you find yourself in close proximity with someone (or maybe more than one) person and you don't really understand them and they are different than what you are used to, but they are always there and there is kind of a highlight on them, it may be God has a plan for you to help each other on your path. Maybe He wants you to extend a hand of friendship even if they are not your idea of what you would want for a friend. ( example: They are too poor, too rich, not pretty or good looking, dress funny, on welfare, street person, too young, too old, belong to a different religion, too important, too pretty, too good looking, dress too well, too educated, not educated enough, they are ignorant, they are gay, have a crimminal record, they're in prison, they are alcoholic, druggie, hippy or ex-hippy, different nationality, supposed to be our enemy, they are a really rotten sinner, they are egotistical, self-righteous, too churchy, don't go to church, married, not married, too many children,don't have children, they are teenagers, gang-related, they have mental problems, or you just don't feel comfortable around them for whatever reason it may be!). When God gets it through to you finally that He has a plan for you and someone else (or more than one someone else) to share some time together and break through some conventional thought patterns and let love happen, the world will light up around them and you! God's love engenders healing and when that happens, you will discover new dimensions of life. This is what Jesus was trying to say and show with His own life when he was here. Love those God gives you to love. Not just your family, friends and church brothers and sisters, but everyone ..the Samaritans, your enemies, the poor, the widows, the orphans, the needy, the hurting and ill, the demon possessed, the robber. Mt 5:44- "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" Go the second mile. Give until it hurts. Love when you are not treated well in return. Give even when who you give to is ungrateful, ....give until you are drained out and turn to God for strength. This is God's healing love. When you never give up on the one or one's God gives you to love, healing will happen. Even when you can't see it, even when it seems entirely hopeless, love is still healing. Not just them, but you also! The key to success in this endeavor is to accept "the ones" God puts on your heart, not the ones you "think you're "supposed" to "try to change" or "re-direct". The people we think we have to "convert" or save" are not in need of our services. But when we feel that tug in our heart to someone, that is God asking us to love. Anytime we find ourselves trying to change someone, we are missing it. Any action that implies they need something we already have or we are in some favored position with God they lack, is a sure sign of judgmentalism and legalism. It is not God's plan to send out a self-righteous army of do-gooders trying to change the world into seeing things "their" way. This is ideology that has created a lot of wars. James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. It is so easy preach without meaning to. The subtle intention of trying to make someone see "my" point of view or to show how it worked for me and should work for them too..if they would "just do it"! The way to overcome slipping into this "teaching" or "admonishing" position is to "stay" conscious" and catch it before you really get going. The "teacher" is the Spirit and we really will teach someone something when we're not trying to. A lot of my most important lessons were learned through someone who didn't even realize they were teaching. Not that teaching is wrong, sometimes we are called to teach and that is different than the self-styled compulsion to convince someone of something.You can tell the difference when you feel that funny little pressure in your abdomen that compells you to keep talking and driving home those points you feel are important. These are things that prevent love and acceptance from flowing freely between individuals and hinders trust and spontenaity in relationship. 
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