More than ever before

 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. 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 5:1)

We are all people-watchers of some fashion. Sometimes we don't even know we are doing it, but we are taking in how someone is talking, the way they walk, how they are dressed for the day, and even how they smell. We form some type of opinion of the individual based on what we see or sense, not always what they say, right? We watch for the 'non-verbal' to give us clues as to what the individual is really feeling or what they are 'after' in the course of their conversation with us. When we become 'God-watchers', we begin to see the world just a bit differently. We begin to see the things in individuals that we can love - appreciate, enjoy, celebrate, and encourage.

Watch how God loves that person next to you - what is it he is doing in their lives today? Someone is saying there is much going on in the life of the one next to them, but get beyond the surface stuff right now and really look into their eyes, observe their posture, listen to the tenor of their voice, appreciate what they are looking upon right now. Did you see anything different at that moment? Maybe just a little bit of a concern came through - maybe a little bit of hope was whispered through the tenor of their voice. Each person has more of a story to tell than their words will ever betray, my friends. That is why God tells us to be begin to 'see' others as he sees them and love him as only he can love them.

Ask yourself what it is you can do to reveal just a bit more of God's love to that individual today. Maybe it is a total stranger to you - but you could hold open the door as they make their way into the store, or take their cart from them in the hot parking lot to return it to the cart receptacle. Perhaps it is your spouse, child, or parent - buried under some load of worry that they really don't know how to get out from under, much less how the load came to be upon their shoulders - how can you help them unload it? Could it be that your actions of love will set another free from some worry, concern, or fear today? If you are loving them the way God loves you, then you are on the right track to see that accomplished!

Grace is one way of showing another the love of Christ - perhaps the 'loudest' way of proclaiming the love of Christ. Who is it that needs to hear words of reconciliation and hope - who needs to find forgiveness and release? It could be they don't have any issue with you, but you could be the means by which their release comes. Be sensitive to God's leading today, my friends. You might not realize it right now, but that person next to you might just need your example of love more today than ever before! Just sayin!