MVLC Member Jason Cornell’s devotion for Friday, May 15.
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No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. —1 JOHN 4:12
While I find it hard to express in words what the love of another means to me, I’ve definitely come to know it. As Aidan and I celebrate our 15th year of marriage this week, I contemplate what kind of love we share together. I think back to the reason we first decided to get married. Was it love? Of course, but not in the way God has taught us. Our love was that of two kids ready to grow up and become adults. That love was quickly followed by the love for our children that were born a few years later.
As Tristan and Camdon grew older, the love Aidan and I had for each other grew in a more Christian way as we began to understand God’s plan for us. Our love of each other and our family grew to include our community, our work, and our Church. We volunteered more in our community and children’s school, we accepted leadership positions at MVLC, and we’ve increased our giving to charity.
Being on lockdown the past two months with the boys has really tested our love for each other and our ability to love the way He has taught us. Home-schooling, entertaining, and refereeing a 9 and 12-year-old every day while attempting to maintain any resemblance of love for another is exhausting. As we struggle nightly to get the boys to bed at a reasonable time and up in the morning for home school, we pray for this new normal to end quickly. However, we know that’s not going to be the case.
“This too shall pass.” I’m beginning to hate this adage, but while my disdain of the phrase grows, I know every word of it is true. We will get back to normal, we will get back to work and church and school. In the big picture, this is but a pixel of God’s plan.
Until then, Aidan and I will focus on loving each other the way God has shown us. We will continue to look for opportunities to serve the neighbor in this new normal and we will continue to love our community, work and church. Please join us.
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Let us pray.
Heavenly Father,
Be with us as our love and patience grow weary in this uncertain time. Grant us your grace and courage to overcome our fears of the unknown.
Teach us what it means to truly love another so that we may see you. You sent down your Son to guide us, help us remember his words.
Be with our sisters and brothers that are sick or grieving the loss of a love one due to this pandemic. Be with the workers whose job it is to provide care to all those in need on this day.
Be with our Congregation at MVLC as we accept this new normal way of Church and as we begin a new chapter without Pastor John. Lord, provide your blessing on Pastor John and the Vaswig family for they are loved.
Amen.
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Image: “Day Five and Day Four of Creation,” ink on paper, 2020, by PEN.