Lifechanging Advice on Love

“People could rationally decide that prolonged relationships take up

too much time and effort and that they'd much rather do other kinds of things.

But most people are afraid of rejection.”   - Albert Ellis

So Achao (my best friend Georgia’s husband) is hanging out with some of his best buds when he discovers that one of them likes me.  Of course being Butbut the guy is super shy and seeking advice from Achao.  Achao being the wonderful friend that he is simply tells him, “Just tell her you love her… you won’t die!”  (Now as much as I want to be like no, love is a big word and you don’t even know me.)  Achao is 100% right.  What’s the big deal?  Just tell her how you feel.  It’s not going to kill you!

I just realized how vital that advice was the other day.  Here’s this guy all nervous, covered in fear of rejection.  That fear was outweighing the possibility that I actually might adore him.  Yet here’s his buddy trying to encourage him to be strong and realize he had nothing to lose.  I either liked him or I didn’t; yet, ultimately there was only one way he could find out.  He had to open his mouth and say something. Look at the freedom he had, it wasn’t going to kill him to tell me he loved me in fact there was a chance I might actual love him back. 

Where am I going with this? …  Well the rest of that particular story isn’t finished being lived out just yet but what I realized is we have the option so many times to share God’s love with people that we adore and that same fear is keeping our friends and family from a joyous life of Hope!  While I realize we have to live our lives as an example and acting in a way that would make them want to know why we are different, at the end of the day we have to open our mouths and say something.  Invite them to church, ask them if we can pray for them or simply tell them God loves them.  You can be kewl and sleek about it inviting them to church just like you’d causally use your swagger to ask someone out for coffee ;)  So the next time an opportunity comes up for you to witness, I hope you feel me elbowing you and whispering, “Go on tell them God loves them… you won’t die!”

“A truthful WITNESS saves lives…” – Proverbs 14:25

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria

and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8