“Let Me Sow Love”

Today is part two of the BLOG on LOVE. In case you weren’t convicted on its central importance yesterday, the Lord is  bringing  in the “knockout punch”. Yesterday he softened us up with Paul’s passage from First Corinthians (1Cor. 13:1-7); today, here comes St. Francis. 

“Well Dave, I have to admit that I was a bit convicted yesterday, but I have the St. Francis prayer down pat. Yep, I don’t think there will be any more conviction today…. nice try.  I even know the little song with the words from this prayer….very nice and peaceful…even a bit cozy…whistle, whistle….” 

Okay, let’s just put the prayer out there.

• “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
  where there is hatred, let me sow love;
  where there is injury, pardon;
  where there is doubt, faith;
  where there is despair, hope;
  where there is darkness, light;
  where there is sadness, joy. 

• O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
  to be consoled as to console,
  to be understood as to understand,
  to be loved as to love.
  For it is in giving that we receive, 
  it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 
  and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
  (Prayer of St. Francis)

You have to admit that this is a beautiful and powerful prayer. In a nutshell, it takes the focus off of ME and on to my brother and sister. It captures the essence of LOVE. 

So, let’s take the prayer of St. Francis to our prayer. Let’s just ask ourselves one of the questions it raises. For example…. “ do I seek to be understood more than to understand ?”  

Woe, guilty as charged. To often I don’t try to first understand where you’re coming from….. what is Judy’s point here…doesn’t she understand where I’m coming from…what about my point…bla,bla,bla. 

So, if we’re convicted by the Holy Spirit…it’s good news; God will help us to change. And let’s be encouraged where we see that we’re doing pretty good…that we’ve made progress…that we really do try and understand where our friend or spouse or child is coming from. 

When we sow peace, we will reap peace….. the more we love, the more we will experience the fruit of love… joy, peace, hope, and light.  “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”