Abounding Love to the Southeast

For the past six weeks, I’ve been careening wildly around the Southeast US, visiting my beloved vet school groups, sharing at conferences, and taking selfies. Yep, you heard me right, that’s what I do for a living now, thanks to my fabulous supporters; I take pictures of myself on my phone and call it ministry! To be fair, I’m using them to illustrate what our society has become focused on, but it’s been fun to tell a group of vets or students to give me their best peace sign and duck face.

Visiting Lincoln Memorial University’s brand new veterinary school, hoping to start their first club; Christian Veterinary Fellowship! (Prayer request: they meet next week to submit CVF as an official club, only 2 clubs of many will be selected this year.)

Mississippi State's great group!

Auburn's awesome crowd! War Eagle, Baby!

The fabulous Tuskegee club!

The University of Tennessee's packed house!

As many of the University of Florida's fantastic ladies as I could fit in the screen!

University of Georgia's wonderful students!

Since July, CVM has been studying our new annual verse;

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” –Philippians 1:9

Ooh, I love the theme of “Abounding Love.” Clearly I’m a big fan of the Abounding part, as it’s been my project name for over 6 years now, and a goal of mine to overflow into others for longer than that. And of course, everyone loves Love. We “love” sunsets on the beach, cupcakes with lots of frosting, our furry pets, a savory filet mignon medium rare, our favorite sports team, and a comfy pair of jeans. Not to be too superficial though, we love our friends and family too. We love a good chat with a bestie, a cozy snuggle by the fire with a spouse, a tickle fight with one of the kiddos, a warm hug from a grandparent. We love to be loved! 

But why doesn’t Paul say, “…that your love may abound more and more in hugs and kisses and warm fuzzy gestures?” That must be what he meant, right? After all, the dictionary on my computer defines love as “an intense feeling of deep affection.”  Deep affection and knowledge and depth of insight are not very similar.

Our culture, the one where the selfie is taking over the world, has taught us that love is about us. It’s about how many “likes” or retweets my photo gets on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It’s about whether my romantic partner is making me happy, and when he's not, finding another one. It’s about transactional relationships where love is reciprocal; it’s given to be returned.

We’re a few months from experiencing the event that most people say changes their understanding of love entirely; the birth of our first baby! In February, we fully expect to be overwhelmed, abounding even, with instant love for a little creature that won’t give us much more in return than a couple chubby cheeks to kiss, for quite some time. And I’m sure we’ll learn a new side of love that we can’t even imagine. But still, this love will be an emotion, one that likely will come naturally and effortlessly as we swoon over a precious newborn.

I think the love that Paul is talking about, however, isn’t one that comes easily to the heart, but one that flows with meditation from the mind. This is the love our daughter Angie has taught me.  A love that I must think about constantly, work on daily, and not always feel. One where the pouring out does not often come pouring back.

C. S. Lewis sums it up this way, "Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."

Paul encourages us, through conscious efforts to act out love with no expectations, to put the interests of others above our own. I challenge you too to love like Jesus, intentionally, and well.

“His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that.” –Ephesians 5:2 TM

Consider someone in your life who may not be the most loveable, and meditate on how to love them extravagantly. I’ll pray for you as Paul did for the Philippians that your love may abound, I hope you’ll pray for me too.

And if you're excited about all the smiling faces above being touched with Christ's love, please consider partnering with my ministry through the "Partner" link, upper right. Thank you!