She sat in the closet, pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on top. Once again, she forgot to make sure the towels in the bathroom were even on the rack. Another mistake.

How could she be so stupid?

Her eye throbbed as she huddled in her time-for-thinking-spot, as he put it. It had been used twice this week. She’ll need to get the sunglasses out…again.

Tears trickled down her cheeks and dropped to the floor one-by-one.

Why couldn’t he love her for everything she did right? Why did he have to concentrate on her few mistakes? She tried hard to keep the house perfect for him.

He had treated her like a princess…in the beginning. Everything started to go downhill right after their honeymoon.

Wasn’t love supposed to conquer all things and not keep record of wrong doings? At least that’s what the pastor had read from his Bible at their wedding.

Or was that another lie?

Footsteps jolted her from her thoughts. The door opened and she squinted from the light flooding into the small closet.

“Honey, are you going to be a good girl now?” he said.

She nodded.

This story is fictional, but you know as well as I do, it happens all too often today. Abuse is real and it not only hurts physically, but emotionally.

Why do we only love when it suits us? I’m not saying we’re all abusers, but there are times we don’t love like we should. We sometimes love selfishly. Admit it, you’ve done that before. I have.

Why can’t we all love unconditionally as Christ does? I’m not only talking about spousal love, but love for our family, friends, co-workers, and yes, even the neighbours who annoy us.

Christ set an example for us to live by. He makes it look easy, but we know it’s not. We can only do it with His help.

What if we loved like Him? Yes, I’m going to break a writing rule and use a cliché. The world would be a better place! And others would see Christ in us. What a witness!

Remember that the next time you’re finding it hard to love. Do it through Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Message)
   Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.