Jars, Music, and Loving Even When I Get Nothing In Return

These jars are our favorites.  Short.  Squat.  Wide lid.  Fill them up with left overs or something yummy (but cooled down) from the crock pot.  Freeze them.  Put one in your lunch bag.  Let it thaw during your morning routine.  Heat it up in the microwave.  Use as a bowl (that's the best part!).  Ta-da!  Easy! Keep in mind that when it freezes it will expand... so don't fill it up all the way.  Leave some room.

I love these jars.  I like jars in general.  But, I love these chubby ones.  They are cute and easy to clean.  However, if one was broken, it would be out-a-here.  I only love it as long as it serves me.

I do have some things that are broken that I keep: a dish from my grandmother, a ceramic frog in my classroom.  But, they still do their jobs - to be memory keepers.

But, when a thing looses all purposefulness (of beauty, pleasure, even holding memories), we don't need it anymore.

Our relationships are like that, too.

Have you seen the new BBC video which remakes, "God Only Knows"?  There's been a lot of hype about the opening lyric to the song.  How it is hurtful and ugly and bad writing.  I think it is probably the truest lyric we could say to someone.

I may not always love you.

The truth is, that I won't love you if you're not serving me well.  Teach me, encourage me, help me, make me laugh, lead me, follow me, listen to me, know me, need me, want me, glory me, honor me, be with me.  Make me look important, feel important.  Make me look wonderful, feel wonderful.  Entertain me.  Give me this.  Give me that.  For goodness sake, do what I want you to do.  Then I will love you.

So, yah - when you don't do those things, I'm not going to love you.

It might be short lived.  But I might just throw you to the curb for just a second or two.

Yikes.

Another lyric comes to mind.

My friends ain't the way I wish they were...
I won't despise him for his weakness
I won't regard him for his strength

And the truth is, I do regard people for their strengths and how those strengths are good for me.  And then, when the weaknesses show through, my own love weakens.

But, that's not what Jesus did on the cross.  It's not that he made this list of all my amazing attributes and said, "Oh - that one - she is so worthy of this!"

I was His enemy.

And He gave His life for me.

And this person who is right before me - when they have nothing to give me - nothing to make me feel special, honored, and adored... when they are the enemy to my agenda, my plan, my self-confidence and image...  they are not just something to be used.

They are to be kept.  They are to be loved.


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For more on freezing in jars: http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/freezing-food

The "God Only Knows" song is by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher.

The weakness/strength song is "Brother's Keeper" and is by Rich Mullins.