"Write them on the doorframes"

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bing them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
-Deuteronomy 6:6-9.



Above is a picture taken at the Easter Service at St. Paul's. Out of the many messages written on the doorframe that day, mine was caught in a picture, that I currently have as my desktop and can remind myself of everyday. That day I prayed as I walked through the door that once I crossed to the other side that I would be able to open my eyes to see God's grace in helping me to love my enemies. I used the word enemies loosely to mean anyone I am against in anyway at anytime, rather than the literal definition: a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent.

It has been almost two months since Easter, since I walked through the door and prayed for help in this area. All I can say is that I have seen God helping me to do this on a daily basis. I am becoming less judgmental by the day, I have better control over keeping certain opinions to myself, I avoid unnecessary conflict at all costs. While these things are helpful, they are not really loving, which is what I prayed for. But don't worry your hearts, God has obviously gone above and beyond in this area as well. In helping me to mend broken relationships, help those whom are in need (no matter what my previous view of them was) and to exercise both patience and compassion in situations I never thought it was imaginable.

At first, when the symbolism of walking through the door was brought up, I was unsure how effective it would be. But again, this goes to show that beauty will rain down on us if we just believe.

What if we loved our enemies?