I cannot tell you how many times I shouted this to the heavens with my hands held high and tears streaming down my face as I entered a new life season. My last baby had just left the nest, I had never finished college, and all my friends were stepping into their next season of womanhood with confidence and grace.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.”- 1 John 4:18-19. The famous song “What’s Love Got to Do With It” by Tina Turner was released in 1984, and some, including myself, believe there is a subliminal message: Love is risky and can sometimes hurt. Nonetheless, God calls us to be rooted and anchored in His sufficient love amidst fear or disapproval of others.
If you’ve been to a summer camp, you may have memories of flying off the innertube or painting a ceramic cat that your parents “forgot.” My core camp memories are a little different. One summer after high school, I worked as the counselor for 19 middle school girls at a camp somewhere in the Dakotas. Nothing has tested my faith more.
I lost the feeling in my fingers as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, white-knuckling my way through our neighborhood. It was almost 5:00 p.m., which meant my husband would soon gather our children and I would attempt to gather my thoughts. Usually, while our days aren’t perfect, they tend to run pretty smoothly. But today wasn’t one of those days.
Jesus encourages us to love with real openness and honesty, but such love also brings great vulnerability. By loving and living in a way that we mourn deeply, we open ourselves up to incredible heartache, trouble, and hurt. But! We also draw closer to Jesus, and, with Him, there is potential for great joy because Jesus has overcome the world. (See John 16:33.) In other words, the risk of grief or mourning can be overwhelming. It is not easy to love people to a point where we mourn over hardship and loss. But, through it, God promises life-changing joy if we are willing to take the chance.