Retreat in review

So this weekend was a lot of fun. The main theme of the retreat was centered precisely around my reason for attending in the first place-- standing in unity as a church, staying in fellowship with each other and allowing God's love to flow through us. During our devotionals on on Saturday and Sunday morning we read through some attributes and qualities that the Bible ascribes to this amazing love as I like to call it. We read through 1 Coritinthians 13, a pretty well-known passage that defines what love is and isn't:

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails

I've known this passage by heart for years. But what I love about reading the Bible is how God constantly reveals new things to us, even in reading verses that we can mechanically recite from memory. In reading this passage about love I was reminded that above all things, God is love. So these qualities are actually His qualities which flow through us when we allow Him into our hearts. Consequently, we are to treat those around us with this same kind of love.

Sure, it all sounds easy in theory, but I've missed the mark so many times. As of lately I've complained, been less than patient and, try as I might, sometimes it's tough not to remember all the stuff that others have done or said to me in the past. But this weekend I wiped the proverbial slate clean. I have a new motivation to be a reflection of this love to those around me.