Acceptance of Others Shows God’s Love

By Troy Pomeroy

When I was growing up, I was blessed to have some friends whose families showed me a great deal of love, kindness, and acceptance.

One of my friend’s parents coached our Little League team. On several occasions, a practice or game would start a while after school let out. So I would ride the bus to my friend’s house and hang out until the practice or game started. They always treated me like family, completely sharing their home and their time with me. They even fed me! I always felt accepted there because they did more than tolerate a visitor – they actually enjoyed spending time with me.

Another friend lived within walking distance, so we spent tons of time together. His mom naturally got to know me for who I was – not just the polite houseguest. She spent enough time around me to know the good and the bad. To her credit, she loved me unconditionally and I was always accepted as part of the family.

I think God puts amazing people in our lives to give us the tiniest glimpse of His perfect and unconditional love for us. It’s easy to love someone when you’re getting something in return for it. It’s natural to love your own parents or children. To truly accept someone outside of those circles requires that we look at them with different eyes. We start seeing them as God sees them.

The really cool part is that God allows us to participate. Hopefully we have all experienced someone fully accepting us for who we are. More importantly, we get the opportunity to show God’s love as we extend love and acceptance to others.

As I look back on my friends’ families, I wonder if they know how much God’s love was shown through them. I also wonder if people visiting my house sense God’s love coming from me.

Troy Pomeroy writes from Eagle Point, Oregon. troy_pomeroy@yahoo.com