You know that kindness leads us to repentance? (Rom 2:4) I believe in a world where we inspire each other with love and lovely things. I believe that the kingdom of God in us is where the power of beauty lives and is practiced and cannot be stopped.

And then the rubber meets the road. The Lord faithfully reminds me there are people I need to forgive. People who make me work hard, seeking Jesus’ fingerprint so that I find something to bless, to admire, to hope for expansion, growth and change in their lives. Sometimes I never find it, but still I must forgive.

I am required to forgive, no matter what else I do, in order to set myself free. I am required to bless them in order to set them free. I must bless them so they can be what they are called to be and do. I am called to move beyond forgiveness into blessing others, those who have hurt or betrayed me, so that my heart can be free to know the heart of God.
Such a process. About the time I feel I have accomplished this activity, someone from my past rises into my present and I have to acknowledge that, although I forgot about them, I never intentionally forgave them. Sigh. It is truly a living process. A way of walking in the world.

My job as a believer in Jesus is not a mission to expose sin, to share the twisted, to give attention to or provide a platform for the ugliness of satan’s mean, smelly or fearful things. My mission, as a believer, is to express life and love and share hope. To exude the essence of the goodness, kindness and beauty of God.

Love as a seed will grow. In fact, it cannot be stopped—it will find a way. Let the love of God fall into the cracks of brokenness in your life. Share a seed of love with others. ‘Shed it abroad,’ and know, that as it drops into the broken cracks of others’ pain, it will grow. We were created to love and be loved and forgiveness and blessing inhabit love. So be brave, be strong and go with Jesus into this garden He is tending to become the life, the beauty, the love that you are.