First Loved

This past week-end, we visited old friends who live on a farm in central Virginia. It was a marvelous visit among friends so close in heart that we can discuss matters that most acquaintances and even family members cannot discuss and still come away feeling loved-(even though they are).

Yes, we discuss those two major subjects we're all taught to avoid outside the walls of our own homes. I know you know of what I speak...those taboo subjects of religion and politics. To go or not to go to church and why. To read "The Shack" or not to read "The Shack"...and why. Whether Obama is a monkey in disguise or a brainiac worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. We also discuss death. Sadness. Joy. Children. Grandchildren. We discuss Eternity. We even discuss the three popular Christian views about the Lord's return.

We talk the who, what, when, where, why and how of everything that flows across our brains...and we do not always agree. In fact, chances are, that in all the nutshell of topics listed above, there probably isn't a single one we totally agree upon.

But see, we love one another.

Our friends have dairy and beef cows and recently bred two beautiful, humongous workhorses that are rare, yet somewhere in the Belgium family of horses. I have never seen any more magnificent looking and that includes Clydesdales.

But that's not why we went.

It was either wet and misty or wet and pouring more wet the entire visit, so other than a very brief walk to see the horses, cows, mules and chickens, we didn't get a lot of time to spend in the gorgeous hills of their area. Still, the quiet strength and beauty of the land was not lost on us.

But that's not why we went.

Our friends always feed us as if we are royalty with bottomless stomachs.

But that's not why we went.

They send us home with interesting magazines, organic remedies and almost always, a pasture-grazed chicken or two.

But that's not why we went, either.

We went, and will return, because they love us, regardless of...well...regardless.

And because of their love for us, we love them, too...and I'm sure it works both ways.

All this makes me think of the love of Christ for us. We don't come into an intimate relationship with Him until we get a sliver of understanding of His love for us...

..."We love Him because He first loved us"...

Don't you just love simple truth?