~ A Conversation About Love ~

~ A Conversation About Love ~
By Beth Stroup Copyright 2006


Beth: Yeshua! How’s the hands, the feet?

Yeshua: <laughs>

Beth: Hey! Ab! How ya doin?

Abba: Well, child. Tell what is on your mind.

Beth: Right down to business, eh? Yeah. Ok. Well, I'm feeling pretty uneasy here, and I thought I'd get things cleared up. As you are well aware, I was doing some thinking while I was cleaning the cat litter box earlier today. And . . . umm . . . well, you remember when I was asking you for a label for “sin” that the generations on earth right now could relate to better . . . right?

Abba: I remember

Beth: <laughs nervously> Well, DUH! Of course YOU remember. How silly of me. Sorry! Lost my mind there for a minute.

Abba: No worries.

Beth: <laughs even more nervously> Oh! God. I’m sorry again. I forgot that too – no worrying. Got it. Wow. I’m on a roll.

Abba: You’re doing it again.

Beth: Ok. I’ll just move on then. So, anyway, what I was thinking was that since today’s people have such an aversion to the very *word* sin, that if I could circulate another label people might be reached by it. As it is now, it’s so easy for them to have only the understanding of children. That rebellious understanding of it. As it is written – my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. If they could just get a glimpse, to truly give knowledge to their minds as to what sin REALLY is, then they would actually repent, and save us and this world from your wrath that we all know is coming. Everything could change. My heart is heavy for this world.

Abba: Yes.

Beth: I mean, if you would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorra for the sake of ten righteous men, then you will surely give me – or someone - a label to circulate as much as possible so that we can return to you, and be spared, and your anger against us would wane.

Abba: Indeed

Beth: But, then the phone rang.

Abba: Yes

Beth: So, later, when I had another few moments to think as I cooked dinner, I realized something. I figured, if you were to give me something that huge, the least I was going to have to do was to yet again ask forgiveness for my own sin. So, that’s what I did right then, as you remember.

Abba: Yes.

Beth: Yeah.

Abba: . . . .

Beth: So, as usual, I asked you to show me clearly the sins I committed that I was not aware of.

Abba: Yes

Beth: Right. Then . . . well . . . I gotta say, Ab – I was shocked.

Abba: Oh? Shocked? Interesting.

Beth: I mean, what you told me doesn’t jive real well with what I was thinkin’ . . . ya know?

Abba: I know

Beth: Right. Course you do. Well, so, I started thinking – how could that be so? Because it was love that brought me to you in the first place. I even remember the first prayer I ever truly prayed to you – and that was to ask you to teach me to love like you do! That has been the very foundation of my sojourn with you!

Abba: Indeed

Beth: So when you said what you said, I mean, it floored me.

Abba: I understand

Beth: But I guess I don’t understand.

Abba: This is about your articles, too.

Beth: Articles? The ones I’m working on about the Letters to the Seven Church’s - the spiritual and individual interpretation of ? Or the articles about . . .

Abba: Yes

Beth: Oh! Ok. Well that’s interesting. I’m wondering how it applies.

Abba: Tell me what you’ve understood so far.

Beth: Well, I’m not very far along. Still working on the Ephesus one, actually. But, in a general sense, I was impressed to see the meaning of it when some call these letters the “Epistles of Christ.” I felt much more in tune with the letters, when I realized on a deep level that’s exactly what these letters are.

When I first started delving into the Ephesus one, I sort of felt frustrated. I mean, I had just done this one a couple of months ago as I prepared to speak at a women’s retreat in Indy. But, I thought I better jump in again with the hope that I would gain some new perspective, and deeper meaning.

Abba: Yes

Beth: So, the only thing that Yeshua really tells the Ephesians that they need to do is return to their first love. Now, I was feeling like the whole speech I gave on this at the retreat successfully conveyed exactly what that meant. I thought I had it all down, and so I could simply write in the article basically the same thing I spoke about there.

Abba: Yes. Now tell me what you have learned about love.

Beth: Oh, my. So very much. But just one thing I’ve learned in particular is - I have learned that all those attributes of love that Paul writes about have a polar aspect to them. For example, I understand that love is indeed kind. But, sometimes, when we are showing true love to another person, we appear to them as if we are being unkind. I can think of several examples when this has happened to me. Like with my children when they so badly want to do something that would put them in danger, and they don’t even know it’s dangerous, so I have to say no – looking to them like the bad guy simply trying to spoil their fun. And each one of those things Paul lists have a polar opposite to them, just like "love is kind" has. See?

So, I guess I’ve learned that to love is not dependent upon our personal perception of love alone, nor is it dependant upon their perception alone. So many times we think that love can only be shown in one way. So, I’ve also learned, if the other person’s perception is different, we still keep showing love in the way it is most needed.

Abba: Well done.

Beth: Thanks! So, you see why I’m feeling – shocked, right?

Abba: I do

Beth: Now, what you told me when I asked you to show me the sins I am not aware of, you told me I was guilty of a lack of love.

Abba: Yes

Beth: So – what am I missing? How am I guilty of a lack of love?

Abba: You remember earlier today, when your son asked for a second popcicle?

Beth: Sure.

Abba: You gave it to him.

Beth: Umm. . . . I was in the middle of . . . and, well, I didn’t want to deal with his attitude by saying no. I wanted to get my work done, so I could relax a while. And I wanted him to be out of my hair while I did it.

Abba: Exactly.

Beth: I still don't get it. I mean, I know he's hypoglycemic, and too much sugar sends his metabolism over the edge. I'm consistently "preaching" about that one. But it was just that one time. I was really under the gun to get stuff finished.

Abba: You showed more love for yourself than you did for him, right at that moment. And the "gun" you speak of was one of your own making. Wanting to relax is not exactly a shotgun pointed at your head. Wanting to do your work without his interference is not exactly a canon either.

Beth: <stunned silence> <heavy sigh> I see your point.

Abba: You do the same with your husband, you know.

Beth: I do? Oh. Yeah. I mean . . . I do.

Abba: Yes.

Beth: I will be more diligent, Abba.

Abba: I know

Beth: Thank you. So much. Now . . . about that label, please? What say ye?

Abba: Child, understand. The sin you were guilty of is also the label you are to distribute as much as possible. Sin is . . . a lack of love.

Beth: <gasp, followed by more stunned silence> My god. Thank you.

Abba: It is always my pleasure to "connect the dots" of My Word with you, daughter.

Beth: But, I have another question. The Bible says that sin is lawlessness – what gives?

Abba: Child, look! In which of my commandments do you not find the element of love?

Beth: None, Abba. None.