Where is That Love?

Yesterday I shared with you about the Power of Love and what I’m currently journeying through with my family and particularly with my baby sister.  Love is such a powerful force, that often gets watered down by cliches and overly using this powerful word to describe our affections towards shoes, cars, food, you name it.  However, when you experience it’s power first hand, it cannot be denied and it’s power will forever change you.

With that said, I’ve also been on the flip side of that!  I’ve been the person who’s asked “Where is That Love?”, feeling like I had been an abandoned ship, coasting out on the sea.  That is until I had an “Aha!” moment.  There was a particular individual, whom I felt like I really wanted to be loved by, yet for whatever reason, I didn’t feel like they expressed much interest in my life.

Until it finally dawned on me, “This person isn’t expressing interest in my life, because I’m not letting them in!”  Whenever they called me and asked how I was doing, my answers were always very short and manufactured down to a no answer.  ”How’s it going over there?” , they would ask.  ”Things are good, I’ve really been enjoying the weather.”

What? Are you kidding me?  I was giving this person nothing to work with, while at the same time drawing a blank as to why I didn’t feel pursued by them.  It had nothing to do with their love not coming in, but it had everything to do with me walling their love out.

The challenge came when they called me in a moment where I was hurting.  I had to ask myself, “Okay, will I be vulnerable this time and be honest about where life is, along with how my heart is doing in the process.  Or will I shut down, wipe away the tears and cry later.  Perhaps, I’ll ignore their call?”

As soon as I decided that I would take the call, my initial reaction was to wipe away the tears, clear my throat and pretend as if nothing was going on.  However, as soon as I was on the verge to resort to my old methods, I decided in the last moment, that this could no longer go on.

I answered the phone, allowed the weepy voice to continue and allowed them into my vulnerable moment.  They had caught me red handed in a heavy heart situation and this time, I was going to let them in.  Sure enough, they engaged me immediately, asking about my heart and expressing their love and concern.

Dammit! Why didn’t I do this years ago?  All of those wasted years walling in my heart.  Putting up my hands and saying “No thank you.  I’ve got this, no need for you to come in here and get all messy with me.”  In that moment, when I decided that those old walls could no longer serve their former purpose, that Love that I so desperately wanted from this individual, finally came in.

Little did I know that they were waiting all along, for a simple invitation to be welcomed in to this heart of mine.  That Love that I was seeking, was always available, I just had to position myself in a place where I could receive it.

Think about your own life.  Are you at a place where you find yourself scratching your head, looking to and fro for that love, when lo and behold, it’s right under your nose, you just have to accept it?

Let me encourage to quit wandering around asking “Where is That Love?” Instead, take a deep breath, open your eyes and give the Love thats around you, the permission to come in.