Love

Now, love is not a feeling in your chest
It is bending down to wash another’s feet
It is faithful when the sun is in the west
And in the east
-Andrew Peterson, "For the Love of God"

My life is not what anyone would call extraordinary. In fact, it could be considered very ordinary. I am not the type of person that books will be written about. My life will not be one that inspires best sellers or box office hits. I live a typical life. I get up, I go to work, I come home, I take care of the house (occasionally), I read, I hang out with my husband, I hangout with friends, I do yoga, I just... live.

The tone that last paragraph should be read in is not one of pity or regret. Quite the opposite. It should be read in a matter-of-fact tone with a subtle hint that I am leading up to something. Perhaps a big, "BUT...."

Regardless of how "uneventful" or "ordinary" my life may be, it is one that I am so very, very thankful for. That I have this life, that I have a loving family, a warm, cozy home, sweet friends, and a good job- these are all things that I am very grateful for. Yet, those are things many others have in their own lives. Which brings me back to my original statement- my life is not what anyone would call extraordinary.

Perhaps this is a good time to give my big "BUT" statement before loved ones begin to worry or before I bore anyone who happens to read this. So, here it is. My life is not considered by any as extraordinary BUT in one regard.

What makes my life extraordinary- not by Hollywood's standards mind you- but truly beyond what is usual, is not the elements that exist in my life, but the context in which I get to live my life. I am a believer in Christ. I believe in the grace He has sacrificed himself for and given to us. And what is so, for lack of a better term, cool about this whole life thing is that I get to share a small part of what lead Him to the cross with others: love.

I think Andrew Peterson said it perfectly in his song. Love is too often trivialized. (It is not a coincidence that I am writing this shortly after Valentines Day.) Love, the way God intended it, is actually pretty shocking if you think about it. Who really in their right minds would want to wash a person's feet after days of walking in sandals on dirt road? Who really wishes to humble themselves in such a way?

If there is one thing that makes my life other than the ordinary, it's that I am certain that my calling is deeply rooted in serving others. This is not something our self-serving world will tell you.

So allow me to redirect this towards the One who is really responsible for all of this rather than myself. Love is created by God, demonstrated first and foremost by God, and bequeathed by God unto us. He is the very definition of love. God in human form washing dirty feet is really the least of what He has done for us. And what he asks in return is that we love Him and then love others around us.

My prayer is that I will always willingly pick up the basin and the towel.

-Sarah