“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God […] because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (Context: 1 John 4:7-21)
I have noticed that dog owners have an extra measure of love. I’ve never lived with a dog, until recently, when my daughter moved home with her Golden Retriever puppy. The puppy took up residence in my revered space, my kitchen, which is attached to the family room where my prayer chair rests. My morning routine of brewing tea, reading Scripture, praying and writing was immediately replaced with a puppy teething on my slippers and pulling on my pant legs to play, cries for attention as I sat down to pray, feeding, exercising, toileting, etc. I often left for work frustrated and complaining about what I saw as disruption to my coveted peaceful mornings.
On my 30 minute commute to work, I listen to Scripture. The word that was repeatedly catching my attention was “love.” 1 John chapters 3 and 4 repeat the word 34 times. I then remembered the words of Jesus when He shared the two greatest commandments in Mark 12:30-31, which are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
In that moment, God gave me a clearer understanding of a concept that I’ve heard thousands of times. We are here to love. That is our calling. That is our commission. Everything that we do and say must originate from love. (1 John 3: 18)
However, there are people and puppies that I find really hard to love. But, since God is love, and Jesus is God, and Jesus lives in me; then Jesus can love through me. I do not need to love in my own power; in fact, I find it impossible to love fully and satisfactorily on my own. Love involves mercy, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice, which are virtues that I do not automatically possess.
So, I asked Jesus to help me love my daughter’s puppy. And as God always does, He answered my prayer in amazing ways! As my resentment toward puppy faded, I found new ways to love her, such as taking her to the dog park where she could socialize with the other dogs and where I enjoyed getting to know their owners. I found the bonds between my daughter and I strengthening as I embraced this bundle of fur that she loves. Puppy has deepened my ability to love and reminded me that love is the reason that we are on this earth.
As I walk into my skilled nursing facility in the morning, I ask Jesus to love through me. The other day a coworker said, “Give me a hug, you have the sweetest spirit.” I was grateful that God had answered my prayer, and that the love of Jesus could be experienced through me.
Marianne Manasterski
Marianne joined Servants of Christ in 2013. She currently serves on the prayer team.