Love Demonstrated.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." - 1 John 4:9

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

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I've been thinking about love a lot lately, more specifically how to demonstrate love. I found a good sermon on God's love at DesiringGod.com; I don't have enough time to thoroughly read and absorb it right now, but you can check it out here if you want: God Demonstrates His Love Toward Us.

Anyway, I also want to look into love languages sometime. Tuesdays are my crazy day, so I'll postpone that thought until a later date. From what I have been thinking, I think my love language is physical touch, as far as receiving love goes. I don't know why this is, exactly, but a hug or a hand on my back or arm or shoulder or head or whatever means a lot to me. I mean, obviously it'd just be weird if certain people touched me. Growing up, my family was never really touchy, so it's really weird when my parents hug me. Maybe this is because there were three of us and it'd be difficult to take care us if they constantly had one of us in their arms....or something. :) Anyway, maybe this is somehow connected to my lack of physical touch in my childhood. Who knows. Words of affirmation might be second because I struggle with believing lies -- lies that I'm not good enough and stuff like that. So hearing words of affirmation means a lot because it's like they triumph over the lies. I think I prefer this from those people who it would be awkward if they tried using physical touch. Like my parents. It means more to me when they say they're proud of me than if they tried hugging me. Does that make sense?

I've also been thinking about how I demonstrate love toward others. As far as love languages go, I think I'm worst at physical touch and words of affirmation. I wonder if that's common -- for people to desire the things they're worst at showing themselves. I'm better at gift-giving or acts of service. I really enjoy doing things for other people and not getting recognized for it. Maybe that's why the Derb is a good fit for me. Lots of work, little recognition. ;-) I'm okay with that. I'm a behind-the-scenes kind of gal. If someone needs two hundred cookies, I'm on it.

More thoughts on this later. I need some time to process.
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Bible study was good. We are reading through Philippians; this week was Philippians 1:27-2:4. Sarah Beck was talking about suffering and how Job suffered (and this makes me think of Jonah as well) and like God said "Who are you to question what I'm doing? Who are you to question what I'm doing to strengthen you? Can you make a hippo?" So true, and it made me smile. Can I make a hippo? Of course not! I wouldn't even know where to begin! I don't think I could draw a hippo, let alone create one. But God can. Next time I am pitying myself for enduring any kind of suffering, I should say to myself (or better yet, someone should say to me), "Can you make a hippo?" Why would I think my way is better when I have God, the Creator of all the Universe, working everything out for my good, beginning good works in me and promising to carry it on to completion until Christ returns? Yay God.