Unconditional Love

It seems that this subject keeps coming up. I write about what is going on in my life and God continues to show me how important this is. Yesterday, in my devotion it was talking about silence. Not responding in anger, not even responding period just learning to be quiet. Boy, that's a hard one for me anyway. My precious friend, who died last year, told me what God had shared with her about her life. She was like so many of us thinking we always have the best answer or know just what to say......you know, getting your two cents in. :) He told her,"don't speak unless you are spoken too and don't answer questions you haven't been asked." Pretty good, Huh! Back to the devotion be quiet, the last verse said, "Ye are my witnesses, witness in love, not a word.!" The following story was a major teaching moment when God was teaching me about unconditional love. I was at a function and a woman, to my face, insulted me terribly. We had know each other for some time, there was no love lost between us but there had never been any direct confrontation. I didn't respond but was furious. As I drove home that day, I was reliving the situation again in my mind and I said, "Lord you can not possibly expect me to love her." Before I could get those words out He said I loved Judas and knew who he was all along. It stopped me in my tracks. It's like the Bible says, it's easy to love those who love you and are nice to you. What good is that, the test comes when you love those who hate you, who have slandered you and accused you unfairly. If we choose to walk there, God will give us the love to love the unlovable. That truly is a witness to the world. Every day God is constantly showing me where I'm not walking in unconditional love. It's not an easy thing because our (flesh or ego) wants to be treated fairly and you do suffer when you love unconditionally. I will say that it is the path of peace. May God's strength be with us all as we learn to love as He loves!