By: Payton M. Ishmael
Okay, okay, okay! I admit it. As the elusive Saint Valentine’s Day began to sneak up on us, I cringed at the sight of Cupid (a half naked cherub), rose (which die in less than a week), and chocolate (I don’t even like chocolate). What’s the point? And for the anti-Valentine, what in the good Heavens can I write about in the paper to enlighten a church full of loving people? That’s when ‘KISS’ popped into my mind. Now we’re talking. The acronym stands for “Keep It Simple, Silly.” With simplicity in mind, I flipped over to the chapter of Love; I Cor. 13 with every intention to write a cliché article on how to love. After reading the chapter over 3 times, I changed my mind.
“Baby girl, you’re going to have to toughen up a little,” Poppy still tells me. Guess what church! Being a Christian does not make life on this Earth easy. It doesn’t exempt you from being hurt by the words and actions of the people around you. In fact, with the whole arrangement about how we’re supposed to lay down our pride and be humble… we might even be more susceptible to having our feelings hurt. So what do you do? You toughen up! Flex your muscles, grit your teeth, and face the issue head on. Now, that might work for some of you, but meet me after church and ask me to flex… for comedic relief.
I hear people say “you can mess with me, but don’t mess with my kids!” I don’t have kids, so I’m going to stick with “you can mess with me, but don’t mess with my baby brother.” It’s all the same, I can get frustrated with my loved ones, but don’t you dare.
We can’t fight our own battles every single tie. We must hold the Master’s hand and trust in His provisions and His guidance. Additionally, we must look out for our own. I Cor. 13 says ‘love protects’. I can recall many a time when my family came to my rescue. Poppy even had words with one of my former coaches. When we love people, we have a natural instinct to protect them from all harm. See, love doesn’t have to be all sappy after all.
Okay, okay, okay! I admit it. As the elusive Saint Valentine’s Day began to sneak up on us, I cringed at the sight of Cupid (a half naked cherub), rose (which die in less than a week), and chocolate (I don’t even like chocolate). What’s the point? And for the anti-Valentine, what in the good Heavens can I write about in the paper to enlighten a church full of loving people? That’s when ‘KISS’ popped into my mind. Now we’re talking. The acronym stands for “Keep It Simple, Silly.” With simplicity in mind, I flipped over to the chapter of Love; I Cor. 13 with every intention to write a cliché article on how to love. After reading the chapter over 3 times, I changed my mind.
“Baby girl, you’re going to have to toughen up a little,” Poppy still tells me. Guess what church! Being a Christian does not make life on this Earth easy. It doesn’t exempt you from being hurt by the words and actions of the people around you. In fact, with the whole arrangement about how we’re supposed to lay down our pride and be humble… we might even be more susceptible to having our feelings hurt. So what do you do? You toughen up! Flex your muscles, grit your teeth, and face the issue head on. Now, that might work for some of you, but meet me after church and ask me to flex… for comedic relief.
I hear people say “you can mess with me, but don’t mess with my kids!” I don’t have kids, so I’m going to stick with “you can mess with me, but don’t mess with my baby brother.” It’s all the same, I can get frustrated with my loved ones, but don’t you dare.
We can’t fight our own battles every single tie. We must hold the Master’s hand and trust in His provisions and His guidance. Additionally, we must look out for our own. I Cor. 13 says ‘love protects’. I can recall many a time when my family came to my rescue. Poppy even had words with one of my former coaches. When we love people, we have a natural instinct to protect them from all harm. See, love doesn’t have to be all sappy after all.
Written February 14, 2010 for House of Prayer newsletter Vol. 1 Issue 5
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