Love like this...

My dear friend Sara Frankl (Gitzengirl) lost her father unexpectedly very recently. Sara is one of my favorite people. We met through mutual friends and though we've never hung out "in person", she is a dear friend. Sara is one of those people who makes me want to love people better and be more like Jesus. Sara has health problems that don't allow her to be outside of her home, but she is nothing but joyous, radiant and selfless. When Sara's father passed away, I thought of the ways we normally "love" people who lose loved ones. We send flowers, or we go the service...for Sara, these aren't realities. Her health problems don't allow for flowers or many types of gifts, so I bought a card. I realized that sometimes, it's hard to love people without the crutches of easy fixes. All I can give my dear friend is love...in written words, in simply praying for her. i can't hide behind a bouquet (though those are often sent with good intentions), nor can i slip into a funeral and pay my respective dues. i have to love her in new ways, different, unexepected ways. maybe that's just a card. maybe it's a facebook note.

Sara is good at teaching others to love like Jesus because she does it every single day. Now it's my turn to love her, and i have to look for ways to be creative. Love doesn't always come clothed in the ways we think it should.