by Tom Thorpe, Guest Author —
EVERY life situation offers an opportunity to respond in love. Telephone sales calls are usually not a welcome intrusion into our lives. I remember one time when the telephone solicitor thanked me for my kindness, even though I hadn’t said yes to the offer she was making. That kindness cost me very little. It brightened her day, and it brightened mine. I try to remember that kindness each time I hear a voice reading from a script, pronouncing my name incorrectly, and offering me a “wonderful opportunity” by responding in love.
Think about a time when a situation provoked anger, fear, or some other negative feeling in you. You can probably remember a time when your response wasn’t conditioned by that negative feeling, but by a higher awareness of Truth. The Truth from which you wee responding can be called love. Somehow, perhaps without being able to articulate it, you knew there was more to the situation or the person than your initial observation reported.
Showing up, paying attention, and responding in love – all three – are most important in our relationships with partners, family members, and close friends. Minor irritations can quickly become major disagreements when we offer a sharp response to a real or imagined insult. We don’t have to “always hurt the one we love” or allow their words or actions to hurt us. Instead, we can develop the habit of responding from an awareness of the love we share. When we do, we transform a conflict into an experience of love.
If we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfect in us. – I John 4:12
