Hey Everyone!
This last week I received a text message from a dear friend of mine whose husband is a well known coach. She had read a not so nice article about her husband in the paper. My heart sank as I thought how difficult this would be. I mean, if I give a bad thought or sermon - people may talk about it - but you're not going to read it in the paper!
I was talking about it with Topher - telling him how upset this stuff makes me. I mean who does the media think they are! This guy is terrific! And he has a FAMILY. But the media doesn't care about that. They just have a story to tell, and by gosh, they are going to tell it. Regardless of how it personally might affect someone. His/her family. Friends.
I couldn't help but think how we all might be a little more like the media than we would like to admit. How quick we are to judge. Pounce on someone. Someone looks different, acts different. Doesn't wear the "right" clothes. Is socially awkward. Someone makes a bad decision. And BAM! we are all right there - ready to talk about it. "Put it in the headlines". Sometimes just not leaving the kind of room we should for grace, understanding, love.
The other day a friend of mine sent me the following quote:
"Admit Something:
Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."
Of course you do no do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.
Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying,
with that sweet moon language,
what every other eye in this world is dying to hear."
Gosh, I just loved it. Because isn't it so true? I mean when it comes right down to it - don't we all just want to be loved. Honestly - I don't care who you are. How popular, confident, nerdy, alone you are. Regardless of the heirs we try to put on or the masks we wear. Whether you know it or not. EVERYONE - every single one of us is DYING to be loved.
The youth have spent the last 6+ years making fun of me because I always seem to talk about love. Inevitably every Sunday or Wednesday somebody jokingly says,"What are you talking about today/tonight? Oh wait, let me guess, LOVE?" Ha ha ha ha ha!
Honestly, I think I could preach, write weekly thoughts, talk about love every day for the rest of my life and people would still get it wrong. I would still get it wrong.
Why is it so dang hard to just LOVE? Especially when it's the very thing we are all dying to be........loved.
As I write my last weekly thought to you as your Youth Director - my greatest prayer is that you have felt my love for you. I have certainly been far from perfect over my tenure here - but the one thing I actually tried really hard to get right is to love you.
One of the greatest things our Savior taught us is that nothing can separate us from love. Nothing. Not distance. Not death. When you love someone - it's forever. And that's certainly how I feel about my love for you.
Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to serve you these last few years. I am forever changed, forever better because of my time spent with you.
Never ever forget........
I love you. Always will.
T
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