The Left or the Right Wing

I love this image and sentiment. It struck me as a beautiful depiction, not just of the love issue, but also concerning the balance issue as well. And, as humanity seems to constantly be grappling for that experience and attitude involving both, I find it helpful to visual those bird wings. Yes, it’s important to be loved. How many addictions, issues and problems can be traced back to that unmet love issue? I am certainly challenged by it, within my own childhood and life experiences. Many of us view love incorrectly. We can equate it with abuse, disease, dysfunction and chaos. And, often, because of those estimations, we have shame, guilt and fear when it comes to love. We can tell ourselves it’s bad to need love, it hurts too much and it only causes trouble. We often feel unworthy of it because we don’t attain some harsh standard, qualifying us. But God is love (1 John 4:16). That’s Who He is. There’s no qualifier, no standard, no exception. He loves. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, ‘Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’” Jeremiah 31:3 He loves us first, often before we ever get around to loving, or even thinking, about Him! “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 He loves constantly and passionately. So, if that’s Who God is and we’re made in that same image (Genesis 1:26), why wouldn’t we desire to be loved also? Wanting to be loved is not a sin. Turning that into a harmful black hole of an idol, in which we seek love at all costs, however, may be. And this is where we get to the tricky issue of balance. “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40 Ah, yes, order. How many of us are a mess when it comes to this little matter? Guilty, here! Yep, being consumed or addicted to anything, love included, can turn us into a walking, talking pile of disorder, at least, according to our desperate actions. Again, it’s not love that’s the problem. We’re love-created, love-inspired, love-infused beings. We’ll find a way to love someone out there, even if it’s an animal. It’s in us. But as we’re all in process of learning and living a healthy love-filled life, we need to keep balance in mind. For some of us, our struggle may be to love too much. This can involve such behaviors as enmeshment, having no personal boundaries and stalking. See yourself anywhere in that grouping. Yeah, me, too. But there’s another component in the love balance issue. Some of us- okay, all of us- (from time to time, anyway)- love too little. Meaning, we’re too caught up in me, me, me land. I am way guilty of this principle. Call it being an only child, call it being insecure, call it being sheltered, the result is still the same: I don’t love as I should. Ouch! That stings! Doesn’t paint me as a warm a fuzzy, loving child of God picture. But God does desire us to love one another, in a healthy way. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” 1 John 4:7 That means balancing acquiring love for ourselves, via relationship with both God and ourselves, which means accepting, but not stagnating forever, in our imperfections (we can change, contrary to our feelings), and then, of course, give love to others,God included. Whew! Does anyone else, besides me, need a nap? Sound impossible. If it was just us, you bet. But… “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 Nope. We ain’t gonna get out of this balancing act of love that easily! Left wing and right wing of the bird. Both are important. Both are needed to fly. Are you having trouble taking flight in your life? Check your wings. Are both important to you or is one more important than the other? Let’s all look differently at the wings God has given us. We’re created to soar with them!! Ask God to help you fly today!!! Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse