AFTER his father died, my father as a teenager willingly became "the man of the house" to his six brothers and sisters, briefly dropping out of high school to work so their family could stay together. My mother as a teen dropped out of school after her mother died, caring for her four younger siblings, one still in diapers. Both of my parents took on weighty roles at a young age.
No one in my immediate family pursued a college degree, but I decided that I wanted one. My parents supported me in that dream. My mother returned to work, and, with my father, sacrificed to make my heart's desire a reality. Neither was reluctant; never once did either say it was a hardship, but it was. Devoted Christians, they showed me what it means to love deeply and sacrificially.
God gives each of us that opportunity; we exist in relationships to love and be loved. In Jesus, God risked taking on human flesh to reveal the way righteous relationships are lived out. Love sacrifices for others and promotes their well-being. Love builds up, provides for, and initiates goodness. Love gives freely so others benefit. Made in God's image, each of us chooses if we will express its essence - costly love lavished on others.
I choose to love! - Don
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