Genuinely Love People

Genuinely Love People. Ahhh looking through photos I can’t help but gush with joy as I filter through them. 
One thing I have learned and value in my husband is his ability to love people, genuinely. When we were first married I would only really hang out and pursue people who were like me. Same age, same interests, same passions, and it’s fair to say that’s pretty standard in our culture. If people aren’t like us, we don’t naturally go out of our way to connect or get know them. It doesn’t matter the shape, size, class, or ethnicity, Jamie finds a way to connect and build friendships with people. While I valued this in him this was originally harder for me to grasp.
Desiring the Father’s heart I asked God to give me the capability to love people and see people like he does. I don’t want to be known as merely helping people, I want to be the one that befriends people. When we see ourselves as ‘helping’ people as opposed to befriending people we place ourselves in a position that says I value and esteem myself more highly than you. While befriending people allows us to say I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine. When you’re walking through a difficult situation you’re not walking through it alone, and when you’re celebrating, you better call me over for cake! This type of pure genuine love and friendship says I value you for being you, and it allows us to find humour in our quirks and celebrate the diversity in one another.
Over the years whatever social box I tried to put myself in God broke it. The Fathers heart for every person, every class, tribe and nation has captured my heart. I never thought I’d be the one going to the hidden places. The forgotten places or the overlooked places. Whether I’m meeting with influential leaders, community families, people in remote villages or families in the ghetto, I’m so thankful the Love of Christ has transformed my shallow heart into one that oozes a little more like his with pure and genuine love.
I encourage you to join me in praying for The Father’s heart, for a genuine love for all mankind and together we’ll continue to grow and meet all kinds of amazing people who are not like us in many ways, but are more like us than we’d ever know! #34to40 #genuineloveforpeople #1John4:7