Adapted from Beautiful Wisdom Daily Devotions
“I give you a new Law. You are to love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you.”
John 13:34 NLV
Tumbleweeds have a reputation of being an annoyance. They grow with little water. When they are mature, they break free of their roots in a wind and blow whichever direction the breeze takes them. They are full of little stickers that can poke into you or your car’s radiator. If you walk too close to them, you can also get small, painful barbs in your skin.
One woman riding her bike had an accident and landed in the middle of a large tumbleweed. The plant was still a bit green, and she’d never seen one so close. To her amazement, in the midst of all the prickly parts were tiny, beautiful flowers. After she extricated herself, she bent close to examine the beauty she couldn’t have noticed without getting close to the irascible plant.
Oftentimes people we meet in the workplace, store, or even in church have prickly exteriors. They grumble, complain, or are disagreeable in a number of ways. Jesus commanded us to love one another. When we take the time to get close to a person who is difficult, we can often see some small piece of beauty amid the orneriness. The willingness to love as Jesus loves is worth the risk of getting pierced by a word or an attitude.
Jesus, show me how to love the unlovable. Help me to understand their attitude and to emulate You, not those around me. Amen.