LOVE

I recently volunteered to teach the teenage class at church. I've only been doing this for about a month or so and am finding it quite challenging because teenagers don't seem to interact much with the teacher but just sit and stare at you like zombies. They really have me doubting my intelligence at points. When I ask a question that somebody actually, voluntarily, knows the answer to, all my hope is restored and I feel that I may possibly be getting something through to them. 

Today we studied about the fruit of the Spirit. I learned a lot from this lesson and I hope that they did as well. After our scripture searching, reading and "discussion" we had a word search to complete towards the end of the class. For about 5 minutes we sat in silence trying to find Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance among all of the other letters in our word search. I happen to really like word searches. I don't do them often but when I'm presented with one I enjoy finding the words and will not be settled until they are all found. I had the solution to the search in my bag and was tempted a few times to peak at it, just so that I could forget about it and move on with my life. When class was dismissed I carried mine along with me to worship service. I was looking before service began, while people were mingling and saying their hello's and how-do-you-do's, I had my head down searching for the fruits of the spirit on a piece of paper. By the time church started I had found all but one...all but LOVE. At one point I just figured that they forgot to put it in, it just wasn't there at all. I sat it aside as we sang but still couldn't be content knowing that "love" was lost and I couldn't find it. When the song service was over, I pulled it back out and placed it quietly on my lap and began my search again. Then, and then...hold your breath...Rodney's finger reached over and pointed right to it. My whole body responded to this tiny gesture, heart welling up, butterflies in the tummy, and a rush of blood to my brain. I found it ironic that the person who brings more love to me than anyone ever has was the finder of that fruit of the spirit that he is so completely full of. He is my love and the giver of it and the keeper of it and all the beautiful feelings and emotion that go along with all that love is. Rodney has always been a blessing to me, even when he is driving me crazy. I do appreciate these times of actually feeling the blessing, feeling the love because, as the Beatles said, All you need is love!!!