Make Room for Love

 

By Andrea Merrell

But love will last forever!

1 Corinthians 13:8b NLT

The couple had longed for a child. They prayed and waited for what seemed an eternity. Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. They joyfully brought their newly adopted son into their home, but all was not as they expected.

The boy was shy. Hesitant. Afraid. Having been in a number of foster homes and part of the system for all of his eight years, he had become accustomed to strict rules and boundaries. He had not been allowed freedom or the privilege of making his own choices. He was also treated harshly by many of the people who were supposed to take care of and protect him. To him, this transition would be no different than the others.

But this couple gave the boy something he had never experienced: love. They did everything they could to make him feel safe. Trusted. At home. They gave him freedom he had never experienced and told him he had the “run of the house”—his new forever home.

Too many people feel like that little boy—unloved and unwanted. But the Bible tells us:

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear.  (1 John 4:17-18 MSG)

This couple made room for love—unconditional, undeserved, and unearned—just like God’s love for us. The young boy thrived in his new environment

Love never fails. Have you made room for love?

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.