It's exhausting, loving people unconditionally. I don't know if you've ever tried before - honestly made an effort to walk alongside people, loving them without expectations...
And the sacrifice! My word. Laying down your life, your hopes, your dreams and just giving. It's painful. It carves out places in you that you didn't even know existed. It leaves a dull ache at the center of your soul.
So why walk that road? There are lots of reasons why. Because unconditional love has the power to bring healing. Because unconditional love demonstrates how much God love us. Because unconditional love forms the basis for relationships that can sustain the hardships of life. Because unconditional love allows us to walk with people who have the stories that we'd rather ignore or pretend do not exist.
The real question is how to persevere in the face of exhaustion. The only answer that I have to that is somehow relying on the covenant love of God, who keeps his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. Meditating on that and choosing to love based on how God has loved and treated me as well as crying out to God to give me strength is the only way I know to keep going.
So that's what I'm doing tonight. I'd kind of like to give up instead.
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