LOVE THROUGH ME

You, Father,
love me and accept me as I am.
Even when I have failed You,
You remain faithful.
I know that I don’t love others as You love me.
I honestly want to, but I don’t.

There are those who are very easy to love;
I have no difficulty returning their love;
The ones who encourage me, support me
Openly show their affinity and affection.

Then there are those who don’t like me,
Who have no use for me, who doubt my motives,
Who disapprove of my actions, who are critical of me
Without really knowing me in the depth of my being.

Then there are those who think they know me well,
And, of course, I never meet their expectations.
They have given me labels, and have put me in a box.
I won’t ever by loved by them, so I don’t want to love them back.

But Lord,
when I fail to love them, I fail to love you!
You have shown me once again that then I am only self serving.
Forgive me, Lord, for wanting to take the easy way out and
Only loving those who love me first.

Teach me that because You are Love
I need to allow Your love to flow through me
Unhindered by my stubborn, selfish spirit.
Teach me what it means to love
And accept others,
As You love and accept me.
Teach me that love is a commitment
To bless the other person until the end of time.