Why Can’t We Just Be Lovers and Sharers?

So I was a little ticked when I saw this sign. After all, this is the Red River – a public waterway, yet a landowner put up barbed wire and this sign to keep what is public to himself. It didn’t bother my kids but it did me when I saw my girl fishing in a narrow place between the bridge and the barbed wire AND on the other side of the barbed wire – fish jumping everywhere. I researched what the New Mexico laws are about public waterways. And, sure enough it has been an ongoing statewide dilemma for years. The main problem is the public getting to the waterways through private property. I can understand that is an issue. But, what about just riding in your kayak or walking up or fishing the river and you come to that barbed wire fencing and the sign that says $1,000 fine and 364 days in jail?

I was in a setting where I could put time into research. It seems that in 2015, it was ruled that the public can wade and fish in streams running through private property, as long as they remain in the stream which is in line with common doctrine in most states. BUT, landowners and outfitters protested and in 2018, the state began a process to allow landowners to certify streambeds as private property. But, public access advocates are still fighting back by working to strike down the law as unconstitutional, but the effort won’t be cheap. “The tragedy is that the public is going to have to spend millions to win back something that was ours in the first place,” says a public representative, “by suing the entity that’s supposed to act in the public’s best interest and be the steward of a public resource.”

I told my kids about this blog and they told me they saw a man and woman with two children ask the old man who owns the property if they can come over and let their children fish there. He was obliged to let them. Staci said the kids were adorable when they caught a nice-sized fish and when all done, they thanked the landowner and so did the kids. I love that ending to my saga. Well, it may not be an ending, but at least knowing the landowner might have a generous heart after all.

I amuse myself that this controversary intrigued me because it reminds me of our little ones when they were over-protective of their toys. Something innate in them caused them to be selfish with their blessings of toys that had been given to them. That’s what I saw in this old man’s property and so many other times we’ve witnessed the selfishness of people wanting it their way – which is, most of the time, the selfish way – instead of allowing others to share in the bounty.

Someone once said that Jesus began the most revolutionary movement in human history. A movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world - and a movement mandating people to live that love, and in so doing to change not only their lives but the very life of the world itself.

That's what love is. Love is not selfish and self-centered. And, that unselfish, sacrificial love changes lives, and it can change this world. Think and imagine a world where love is the way. Imagine our homes and families where love is the way. Imagine neighborhoods and communities where love is the way. Imagine governments and nations where love is the way. When unselfish, sacrificial love is the way, then no child will go to bed hungry in this world ever again. When love is the way, poverty will become history. Because when love is the way, we actually treat each other, like we are actually family. When love is the way, we know that God is the source of us all, and we are brothers and sisters, children of God."

John said in 1 John 4:7 “Let us love one another”. I LOVE that love. John included himself in that exhortation. He is telling us that everyone is called to love. And actions speak so much louder than words. It’s not enough to just say “I love you”. We really need to actually LOVE.

I don’t know which side you live on, “It’s MINE – get out of here!” Or, “It’s OURS – let’s share the blessing.” As for me, I plan to do my best to err on the side of love. I know it will serve me well as I purpose to sow seeds of love everywhere I go. How about you?

What Matters Most is Love

Yesterday, I posted about it being the “The Love Month”, sincerely hoping to awaken our senses to being people that love from the heart this month.

It was like getting a high-5 from God when later in the day, I opened one of my resource books, Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Drive Life”, to the chapter I was about to read next. Imagine the “Atta’ Girl” I sensed when I saw that the title of this chapter was “What Matters Most” is that we "walk in love".

This life we live is truly all about love. Of course it is, because God IS LOVE and the most important lesson He wants us to learn on earth is how to love. To say “I love you” can sound like a cliché if our actions don’t measure up to those words. We say “I love you” in the same sentence that we say “I love chocolate cake” and there are times when it seems the one saying those words loves chocolate cake more than us. We express our love in actions by giving someone a gift as a token of our love, while evaluating the size or cost of the gift based on “What did the gift THEY gave me cost – I don’t want to spend more than what they spent on me?” We say “I love my neighbor” in the same thought as “I wish my neighbor would keep his kids off my lawn”.

Rick Warren says: “Learning to love unselfishly is certainly not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centered nature. That’s why we’re given a lifetime to learn it. Of course, God wants us to love everyone, but He’s particularly concerned that we learn to love others in His family. Paul wrote: “When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10.

That’s why it’s so awesome to be in the Family of God. Not because we are a “click” or “club unto ourselves”. It’s because we resemble our Father. We act like Him. We talk like Him. We walk like Him. We forgive like Him. We LOVE like Him. That’s why our character, being in His likeness, should speak volumes over those who are outside the Family of God.

Back to Rick Warren’s words “Why does God insist that we give special love and attention to other believers? Why do they get priority in loving? Because God wants his family to be known for its love more than anything else. Jesus said our love for each other – not our doctrinal beliefs – is our greatest witness to the world. He said, “Your strong love for each other will PROVE TO THE WORLD that you are my disciples.” John 13:35.

Yesterday, my post encouraged us to reach out with love during this love month and beyond. Love isn’t learned from hiding out. We must be around people, even those cranky, grumpy and even frustrating people around us, because God's LIGHT of LOVE in us is what the world needs NOW.

Life really is all about love. It matters most. It takes top priority. So, let’s be LOVE show-offs and go spread some of the love today!!