The problem with love

726 the problem with loveMy husband Daniel has a problem - a problem with love, especially God's love. Not much has been written about this issue. Books are written about the problem of pain or why bad things happen to good people, but not about the problem of love. Love is commonly associated with something good—something to strive for, fight for, even die for. And yet it remains a problem for many because it is difficult to fathom which rules it follows.

God's love is freely given to us; it knows no end and considers the sadist as well as the saint; She fights injustice without taking up arms. So one would think that such a valuable commodity would obey certain rules of the market. However, the only rule I've found that applies to this is that love breeds love. No matter how much of it you give to others, you will be blessed even more. Being allowed to receive such a valuable good without anything in return can often be more difficult than it might appear. So my husband Daniel sees God's love as an unjust gift. He looks at his personal shortcomings under a magnifying glass that makes even the smallest detail visible, so that his entire attention is focused exclusively on his shortcomings, where there is no place for "unjustified love".

Daniel brings his problem before God again and again in prayer, accepts love himself and shares the love of the Almighty with his fellow human beings, especially with the outcast homeless people who line the streets he looks after. He discovers that he can certainly feel love if he doesn't close his eyes to her call. He pauses, listens, and prays for and shares with those who call the streets of a big city home. It's never easy, but Daniel feels love is asking him to do just that.

A few weeks ago on Sunday morning, Daniel got on his knees and prayed to God to make him love him more. And the Almighty heard him - at a diner where he had a good 1,80 meter long sandwich for a party. As Daniel exited the store with the mega jumbo sandwich, he heard a loud whistle of admiration and turned to look at the weatherbeaten face of a long-term homeless man, mouth watering at the bread. Daniel smiled, nodded at him and then turned towards his car - until precisely love warned him to turn back.

Hello, he said with a grin, is there anything I can help with? The beggar replied: Do you have any change? Daniel said no, but handed him a dollar bill as he sat down and asked the man his name. Daniel, he replied. My husband couldn't suppress a chuckle and replied: Great, my name is Daniel too. That's not possible, his new acquaintance hooted in disbelief and asked for his driver's license as proof. Once he had the satisfaction of knowing that Daniel was who he said he was, he seemed well disposed toward his chance acquaintance, and a conversation about the realities of life ensued between the two namesakes. Finally, Daniel asked him if he had ever tried to find a job, to which Daniel replied that he had always assumed nobody would hire him because he smelled so bad. would you hire me Nobody would give someone like me a job! I do, replied my husband. Just then, Daniel's expression changed and he began to stutter. Daniel got a little nervous. He had heard of the mental impairments that often accompany homelessness, but he tried to follow the words of the person he spoke to. Mumbling with difficulty, he managed to say: I have something to tell you, said the homeless man. Curious, Daniel asked: What? And with a clean, almost childlike face, this gnarled, wrinkled, foul-smelling man looked up at Daniel and said simply, "Jesus loves you!"

Daniel fought back tears as he heard his answer from heaven. Love had persuaded him to turn around in order to give him gifts. My husband asked: And what about you, Daniel? Does Jesus love you too? Daniel's face lit up with an almost unearthly joy: Oh yes, Jesus loves me so much, whatever I do, He loves me.

Daniel held out the dollar bill Daniel had given him just before: Hey, I don't need that by the way! You're welcome to have him back. He had already got what he actually needed, and so had my husband Daniel!

by Susan Reedy