I'm often looking for opportunities to love big. You know—random acts of kindness, a grand gesture, a real measure of sacrifice. If Our Lord tells us the greatest of all the commandments is to love Him and love others then we must because this is our Divine Call (Mark 12:28-34). And so my radar is on for opportunities to love big.
The funny thing is that this morning I had to opportunity to greet each of my children with a smile as they rose, even though I was up far too late last night with the baby, and I didn't.
Just minutes later I had the opportunity as we piled in the car for school to listen to the silly parody my daughter had written, but I hushed her in my frazzled rush.
Again, I had the opportunity to gently coach my eldest on her relationship with her obnoxious younger brother, but instead I reprimanded her for being too bossy, and I turned the music up louder.
I think you get where I'm headed here.
We know the Word is living and breathing, and we know it's up to us to activate it in our daily lives. But it's easy to see the billboard moments to love. To love big. They are usually so glaringly obvious, and often difficult not to respond to. But how often we fail, how I fail, in the tiny, practically unseen moments of every day. Perhaps these are more precious to Our Lord than any other measure of service I could give. Wisecracks and tension flow from my lips more readily than sweetness, and most often to the very ones He has given me to love.
Oh, Jesus help to me love little. With a love that says "I will" to the call You gave to me. Is He calling you? Listen closely today.