“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 Matthew 22:39

When I first gave birth to my daughter, I found the meaning of true love. I felt a type of love that only a parent can understand. Words could never describe the emotions tied to holding that    innocent life. I became solely responsible for something so much bigger than myself. However, with my love for my child came great resentment. I understood the responsibility that was     bestowed upon me to raise this child, and though I was not prepared for it, I was willing to do whatever it took to ensure that she always had everything she needed. Because of this, I couldn’t  understand some of the struggles that I experienced in my own childhood. There were periods of neglect, some emotional abuse, and some exposure to things no child should ever be exposed to. I could not understand that, no matter how unprepared I was for the monumental responsibility of being a parent, I would never allow my daughter to experience the things I had as a child. So grew my resentment for my own parents. It was years of bitterness, anger,  and isolating myself from my family. That was, until I made a choice.

I visited my parents on Mother’s Day one year, and I spent the week learning about the struggles my mother went through as a child, as a teenager, and as a (very) young mother and wife. As she explained some of her and my dad’s hardships throughout life, I began to realize that mine was nothing compared to theirs. I began to understand that there was never any intentional hurt in my childhood, it was mostly due to a lack of resources and knowledge. I started to see that  bitterness and anger had clouded my vision, and instead of seeking information and trying to love, I just kept throwing stones. My parents couldn’t change the past, no matter how much they wanted to. What we all needed was simply to understand each other and to be validated. During that visit, I learned that love is not always a pretty, painted picture. It is loving through the trials and mistakes. Sometimes people annoy us, they challenge us, they are unkind, they make huge mistakes, etc. People aren’t perfect. Sometimes it takes a moment of perspective, a moment of looking through a lens other than our own that can shed light on the truth. We were born to love. My relationship with my parents is stronger than it has ever been, mostly because I made the choice of love over anger. There are many stories in the Bible where God loves His children, despite their shortfalls. Love is so important to Him that it is the second commandment that    Jesus shared with His disciples in Matthew 22:39: Love your Neighbor as Yourself.                

So no matter what the circumstances, be lovers.

Prayer:

Lord, be with us throughout this Lenten celebration as we face our own challenges in sacrifice to You. Remind us to spread Your love, even when it is difficult. Teach us to understand our neighbors, to forgive their inadequacies, and to love them as they are. Help us to understand Your love for us, and to know how to love ourselves so that we may understand how to share it with Your world. In Christ’s name, Amen.

            Contributed by Brittany Diaz