Getting Back to Basics

If there is one sentence I could use to describe a Groovy it would be, "She loves the Lord."  

love (n) - (theology) - (as in God to mankind) - God's benevolence and mercy toward man; (as in person to person) man's devotion to or adoration of God;  (as in person to person) the benevolence, kindness or brotherhood that man should rightfully feel toward others.

Lord (n) - (theology) - the King of kings; Jehovah; God 

"She loves the Lord."  This simple sentence is a life philosophy that touches and affects literally everything a Groovy thinks, says, does, wants, gives.  This simple sentence, however, is not so simple to live.  Oh, if you look at this group of women from the outside it looks like we've got it goin' on.  The world would say we're comely and smart and fun to be around.  They would say we have loving and supportive husbands, solid marriages, kids who are grounded and good, nice homes, strive to serve others, yada, yada, yada.  Yep, from the outside we're doing just fine.

That's all well and good, but we know the truth about the view from the inside.  We know that we struggle daily with conflicts of living in the world from God's perspective, which is often at odds with the world's perspective.  We know that our desires and even actions do not always align with loving the Lord.  It's not that He is unworthy of our devotion; it's that in our human frailty we cannot live up to the standards He has set for us.

These expectations do not make us uncomfortable.  They simply remind us of our need for His never ending mercy and grace.  And they remind us that if it is suitable and right for us to extend benevolence and brotherhood to those around us, then we need Christ within us to reform our thinking, soften our hearts and live outside the boundaries of our selfish selves.

Lord, we praise You for Your daily renewal of our lives.   We thank You for Your love.  We love you back, Lord.  Amen, the Groovies.