Love Of A Different Kind

Love of a different kind

Quite often, we hear movie stars or rock stars say “I love you” to their fans. This is because their fans buy tickets to see them in concerts or buy their CDs or go see their movies or purchase their products such unique fashion line of clothes, perfumes, shoes and other knick knacks. It is more like buying and selling stuff – it is a business deal! It is not real love, it is all about dollars and cents. If the people quit buying the stuff, do you think you’ll hear them loving the crowds?

Let me tell you a story about a love of another kind. It is a story about a farmer who had some puppies for sale (from Charles Stanley in More Stories for the Heart, compiled by Alice Gray, 1997,p.15). He made a sign advertising the pups and nailed it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was nailing the sign to the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down to see a little boy with a big grin and something in his hand.

“Mister” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well” said the farmer, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment, then looked back up at the farmer and said, “I’ve got thirty nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”

“Sure,” said the farmer, and with that he whistled and called out “Dolly, here, Dolly.” Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy’s eyes danced with delight.

Then out from the doghouse peeked another little ball; this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid and began hobbling in an unrewarded attempt to catch with the others. The pup was clearly the runt of the litter.

The little boy pressed his face to the fence and cried out, “I want that one,” pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down and said “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you the way you would like.”

With that the boy reached down and slowly pulled up one leg of his pants. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his legs attaching itself to s specially made shoe. Looking up at the farmer, he said “ You see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

I like that story. It reminds so much of how great God’s love is. We’re just like that puppy that can’t run too well. We too hobble along in life, with our weaknesses. Perhaps, we feel like no one really likes me a lot. Every time we don’t run too well, not being very athletic, can’t keep up with the others, too slow, too small, too big, too ugly, too poor, too angry, too hated and hateful... we feel smaller and smaller, rejected and unwanted and weak. But what a joy to know God understands and still loves you and I. God is like that little boy who points to you and I, the one who is left behind, and say “I want that one.” So God the Father send His son, Jesus into the world, to become weak, to know our human side that’s crumbling and falling apart from sin and then to die for our sins because He wants you and I. The bible says in 1 john 4...

9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

This is a love that’s not just touchy feely. God showed His love as He bore our sins on the cross. It is a love that’s action packed towards all who feel unwanted, that’s says to you and I with arms reached out to us saying "I want that one".

I trust that today you know this love of a different kind. The kind of love that money cannot buy. The kind of love that does not need you and I to buy tickets, the right kind of shoes or clothes or smell nice. The kind of love that accepts you and I, just as we are. The kind of love that knows our weaknesses and ugliness and still say “I want you”. The kind of love that is huge and action packed, the kind of love that’s God-sized! Do you believe in this love of God?

Here’s the application if you know this God kind of love, live it out loud, share it. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.