As we’ve travelled round the Lake District on these auburn autumn days, we’ve ate bread in Ambleside, Grasmere & Kendal. Crusty sourdough & fresh tin loaves. One local bakery is aptly called Lovingly Artisan. As I savoured the hand-crafted loaves, I thought of a poem I read long ago:
‘Love doesn’t just sit there,
like a stone,
it has to be made,
Like bread;
remade all the time,
made new’
Making bread requires effort- kneading, stretching & folding the dough.
In the same way our love should be intentional. Love needs to be nurtured – just as a sourdough starter needs to be fed.
It’s been said that love is a verb. Love is dynamic.
The Apostle John wrote:
‘Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.’
Human love may go stale-yet God’s lovingkindness remains fresh- it’s new every morning! God’s ubiquitous love is the Truest Love of all. It is the starter from which all love flows:
‘Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.’
(2 Corinthians 5:14 MSG)
Time moulds & kneads life into different shapes & directions as we move along in life. But whatever our circumstances, we are urged to follow God’s way of love:
‘Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’
(Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)
As we journey through this week, we can trust in God, the Master Maker & His love:
‘And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’
(1 John 4:16 NIV)
Blessings,
Ruth x
Blessed! 