John 13:34a ESV
I am primarily Irish-Scottish heritage, so I consider that to be my large picture tribe.
In other words, they are my people…my history.
In addition to that, I’ve had people tell me I’m about as tall as they think a Leprechaun would be. I’m not sure how tall fictional Leprechauns are but I never made it to 5 feet.
My children (my personal tribe) all married people who are as tall or taller than they are, so my older grandchildren all passed me up by the time they went into 5th Grade.
Two of my grandsons are neck and neck about to pass me up and they are 9 and 10 years old.
They love it that they will soon be taller than Gramma Debi.
Mind you, I have never minded being short…that is until I need something from the top shelf!
The people in my tribe understand that I’m okay being short. Two of my daughters by marriage are a foot taller than me.
I am definitely the short one in my tribe. If they gave me a name that’s probably what my name would be: Short One.
Or maybe Short One who carry’s a big stick. (My big stick is my pen.)
My laugh is my identifier.
That makes me smile because my tribe knows me by my laugh. They know my laugh from a quarter mile away. I love them. I would walk through fire for them and they know that.
In John 13:34a we are told, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.”
Being ministry, I’ve lived a lot of places in my lifetime and most of the time my tribe and I were considered to be outsiders. We served churches mostly in rural communities. Even though we were there for several years we were still outsiders.
In one of the places where we lived, I was also editor of the newspaper for several years.
I was still an outsider.
I was known as the city kid.
I grew up in a midwestern metropolitan city (Go Chiefs) and I think that contributed to my situation of being an outsider.
Love one another.
When I wasn’t at work at the newspaper I was teaching classes at church with women’s ministry and with children.
We went to local sports activities with the schools because my children played sports.
Our friends during the time we lived there were the other pastors in town. We were all outsiders and we knew it so we formed a club of outsiders.
At first it bothered me that I was an outsider, but as time went on I accepted it.
See, when I was younger and in elementary school because I was so small I was always the last one picked to be on a team. When I learned that it became a strength because I worked harder to succeed in other ways. I was very active in student government. I competed in speech contests and I was very active in drama club. My weakness catapulted me into success.
And so it was with being an outsider in a rural community.
My writing and interest in photography opened doors at the local newspaper.
I was still an outsider but I was ‘known’. Being known is not something I sought…it was simply a residual effect of my skills.
Even though at first I didn’t feel like I was loved, I loved.
Love always makes a difference. Always.
I learned that in high school. Even though I was different (not tall and athletic) I spoke to every person. I listened when they had suggestions. I learned their names and I spoke it when I saw them. I cared about them. I didn’t care because I wanted to be known. I was known because I cared.
I learned to care because I saw my dad’s kindness and love for others and I decided I wanted to be kind and to love others, too.
It became a lifetime adventure…being an outsider and loving people anyway.
My tribe…my adult lifetime tribe were also outsiders and they loved anyway as well. My tribe started out with five people and now there are eighteen of us. As adults each person in my tribe has moved to new places over and over again. Two are career military so they really really moved, but wherever they landed they loved. Several people in my tribe of eighteen work in various businesses, and wherever they go, they love.
I think that’s because love is contagious.
Once you decide to open your heart and love, it catches on.
It feels good.
So even though I attended evangelism classes in Seminary, I knew that no program or course will make a difference in this world. What does make a difference is caring about other people. Giving love away matters. Listening when they are hurting matters.
Secretly praying for them matters.
Love matters.
Love is really the only thing that makes a difference in this world.
So today Lord, give us love for one another. Amen
Spiritual Practice: Give us love
Lord, give us a deep desire to love.
In Jesus, Deborah
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