The Decision to Care

I really enjoy the writings of Brennan Manning. He is the author of "Abba's Child" and numerous other books. One book of his is a daily devotional called "Reflections for Ragamuffins." I share this reflection with you all -

The Decision to Care

Our natural repugnance and ingrained resistance to the inconvenient, unpleasant, and often messy business of compassionate caring is well illustrated by a story told at a recent AA meeting: A construction worker stopped after work for a few beers at the local watering hole and got home just in time for dinner. His little daughter, who had peanut butter and jelly all over her face as well as a deposit in her pants, rushed into his arms. To say that he was "taken aback" would not accurately describe his emotional state. Wheeling around to his wife, he muttered, "How the heck do you love something that smells like this?" Calmly she replied, "In the same way I love a husband who comes home stinking drunk...You work at it."

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast
it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5