Ada Brownell's "Swallowed by LIFE"

LOVE IS DYNAMITE!

By Ada Brownell

I grew up observing love demonstrated among family. One of the most amazing was a relative who was a new Christian, and she showed love to her husband beyond what I, even as a child, thought was necessary.

Her husband, with training in the finer etiquettes of his heritage, expected men to be served before women.

My aunt, who I know had some fire somewhere in her bones, acted as if she were made to serve her husband, and she did it with joy. We were guests at their home after church one Sunday and boys near my age were allowed to eat with the men, while I remember thinking I would starve before girls and women were served.

I don’t think my aunt was so subservient before she became a Christian, but she did what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7, 13:14: “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband.” As the years passed, my uncle accepted the Lord and treated his wife with kindness and respect. Not many years before he died, he sang his wife’s praises and wasn’t afraid to tell others about what a great woman she was. No longer did the men eat alone, but sat at the table enjoying the chatter of ladies.

My idea when he was such a pompous husband would be to “throw the bum out.” But God has better ways.

I’ve thought of Jesus when John the Baptist was beheaded. John was a relative and close friend. He baptized Jesus. Now the earthlings Jesus had come to save not only killed John, but brought his head on a platter.

No wonder when the disciples brought the news, Jesus immediately jumped on a ship and went to a desert place. He knew humankind could be cruel, but I imagine it was different when he took on human flesh to be one of us.

I’d have said, “Father, they’re too wicked. Let’s forget the whole redemption plan.”

Instead, when Jesus saw a crowd followed him to the desert, He had compassion on them and healed the sick. That evening he fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish. When the disciples departed in a boat the night, a storm blew in. Jesus walked on water, calmed the seas, and even invited Peter to step out onto the liquid.

What love is that?

The type He asks us to work for.

How can I be a more loving person? It’s explained in 1 Corinthians 13-3-5NLT: “If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way.”

“Let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model” from 2 Timothy 1:13 CEV.

When we study the Word we learn love is as powerful as dynamite and will take us through life more easily, just as dynamite can open a highway tunnel through a mountain.

Love is important to our happiness, both the love we receive and the love we give. God loves us no matter what, and some people love us because God put it in their hearts. But to be a complete, we must return that love and put love into action.

The greatest love of all is God’s love for us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
© Ada Brownell Feb. 13, 2012

***
Eternal life is at the heart of my book, Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal.

From the back of the book: Do you know you are more than a physical body? An award-winning medical and religion writer, Ada Brownell—through her research after the death of her daughter—shows why we have hope of eternal life, not only from a Christian point of view, but because of physical evidence.

The paperback book is available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/  and http://www.amazon.com/  or from ada@adabrownell.com  The e-book should be out shortly on Amazon.

BIO :Of her 17 years as a journalist, the author spent seven on the medical beat at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado, reporting on discoveries about the human genome, neurology, mental illness, cancer, disease prevention, treatments, medications and more.

As a free lance writer she has sold 275 articles and stories to 45 religion magazines. She also is author of a book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, published by the Assemblies of God (1978) and her writing is included in “Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers” and “Cup of Comfort for Christians” (Adams Media 2008 and 2006); “What I Learned from God While Cooking,” (edited by Cristine Bolley; Barbour Publishing, 2006); and “50 Tough Questions”, (Pentecostal Evangel Books, 2002).