Quote of the Day:
Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. John 12:25 (The Message)
Being reckless in your love must be something like leaping off a bridge, or jumping out of an airplane, and praying that the chute opens. What would you need in order to make that leap? What kind of equipment would you pack? Who would be there with you? In my case, who would push me out and listen to my scream all the way down?
To me, thinking about dating after divorce feels a bit like being pushed out of an airplane. I’m about to land in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language and I don’t understand the customs. I mean, how do you even say hello? A nod, a handshake, a kiss, and if so, where?
The verse I quote at the top of this post isn’t just about romantic love. It’s about being reckless in your love for all people. People in foreign countries who are hurting from natural disasters. People inside cultures that oppress and abuse. People in lands where war is the norm and peace is a distant dream. What would it take to be reckless in your love to your neighbors who do things differently than you do? What kind of equipment would you need to reach out to someone in a difficult situation? Who would be there to help you?
Journaling Prompt: What does it mean to you to be reckless in your love?
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I think it takes a certain confidence, it takes being in a place of understanding and openness, to take that leap, to step into possible vulnerability, and be okay with any outcome. To actually embrace the outcome, richer for it.
Sometimes I think we let our fears stop us from doing the promptings God places upon our hearts. And so reckless might really be another way of telling ourselves to obey God and just do what he’s asking us to do!
I think the ability to be reckless comes from a feeling of absolute safety in love. Without my faith, I don’t think I could ever get there. I can take a leap of faith knowing who is there to catch me–the one who is willing to sacrifice himself always for the good of his children.
To me recklessness means being willing to take on another’s burden as my own, with no expectation of reward from them, and perhaps unseen by anyone but God.
What a photo, Mar. I love the idea of being reckless in love, in that…sometimes you have to just jump. And I am talking about love beyond romantic. Sometimes, we can’t think too much, we just have to do it. I see Mother Teresa as having employed that kind of love, and I aspire to be that kind of “lover” as well. Thanks for prompting us to think about love in a new way. And thanks for loving me through the years and being such a wonderful friend.
I love how you are all using words like “vulnerable” and willing to “take that leap of faith” to “answer our call.” It takes a great deal of courage to open ourselves up to those possibilities.
I would agree with Jody. I feel that in this present moment “reckless love” is total surrender to God’s will for my life. (Even though I tend to fight it for awhile first!) It fits well with the verse I have been holding tightly to this week. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him and he will make straitght your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I know a tune for that song: Trust in the Lord. I’ll sing it for you sometime.
Thanks for your reckless love!
What a great photo.
I am not good at dating and have no advice. Sorry. When I date, I am my own worst enemy.
Mary, I thought I’d kept up, but the power going off a few times has definitely played with my blogging routine. Thank you for mentioning my blog. You are very kind. I read your ‘secrets’ about yourself with intense interest. I, too, don’t like amusement rides and could relate to several other ‘secrets’ that you mentioned. Then, with today’s blog, I had to really pause for so much of what you wrote hit a personal link. John 12:25 is like a mantra for me. I belive that God gave us a brain, that much of what we want we wait for Him to do, but we’re supposed to figure it out for ourselves. We are most definitely like the grain of wheat…and we have a choice, either to lie dormant or to take that step and plant ourselves and grow. I think there’s a fear of planting ourselves in a patch of weeds, even with the best of planning, and, so tis better to lie dormant and feel safe. As I grow older, I have to fight this thinking for landing in the weeds CAN cause problems. But, I think this is where God knows his creatures and steps in. Faith gives me the courage to take that step, a bit more cautiously perhaps, but I have seen too many retreat into the dormant stage and die inside. They stopped believing in themselves. This didn’t happen to me and won’t happen to you. I didn’t realize you’re a single mom. I had wondered how you had time to do all that four growing boys need and so on and still have time to blog. (I’m the oldest of five; kids demand much.) Now that I know you’re doing this alone, you’re even more amazing. As for dating…have you thought about doing something completely contrary to what you normally do? (I’ve never been divorced but my mother was, about your age, and I remember how difficult it was for her…she eventually retreated into herself.) Years ago, when I was in a dating slump, I took a judo course, totally opposite of what I like to do. However, I met the nicest guy who’d taken the course for the same reason. Bingo!