Love reminds me of Yolonda Pirch. How do we choose who gets it? It’s easy to love another who talks like you, who acts like you, and who looks like you. What about the others who are a little different. What disturbs you the most that keeps you distant from the others? We should be careful because sometimes the others we despise the most may be where God places us. Open book tests are not that tricky, He gave us the answers – the Scriptures. He tells us exactly what to do in this life, for our benefit, we just need to study the Scriptures and look into asking for His understanding.

Yolonda sat there alone, fidgeting with her fingers. Short hair, messy, unkempt as she kept trying to hold down the broken pieces that looked like it was flying away. Maybe diseased, it was easy to make that judgment. Hungry for something, she kept looking, she came closer. Second hand clothes or generations of hand me downs, maybe. Her rough brown skin has not been groomed for sometime, it was easy to assume. Rags and awkward stares, just pretend to look the other way, who knows what she wants and what she’s capable of. Arms folded as she mimicked the gestures of the others in the room. Everyone else was mild mannered and balanced. Not knowing her place she adjusted her clothes, held her hair in place, and kept staring sitting under the television. Staring turned into half a smile, she’s getting ready, here she comes. No one reciprocated her greeting. Although she was timid and shy, long gazes, observing like a child. She watched enough, she wants to share. Would anyone actually go for this? One did, not me. What if she came too close, what if she tried to touch me, we had nothing in common, I didn’t want to… Maybe she was 15, and had never been a teen. She’s been away for too long, not part of this world.

“I got a new house,” was all that was heard. Another woman met her smile, “Really! That’s so nice you seem excited!” “Yes! I get my own room. My momma used to hit me, so they said I had to go. I get to live somewhere new. Ima decorate it real nice,” Yolonda said with her eyes open wide. The woman sincerely smiled, “I’m so happy for you.”

“My boyfriend said he loooooves me!” Yolonda meant it, but anyone who heard that I’m sure they wondered, what boyfriend?

I heard a voice say, “Jackie, you can come back for your appointment.” I got up without hesitation and I wasn’t trying to look back. Jackie said, “It was so nice meeting you, and I am so happy for you!”

I took my mother, Jackie, to the doctor’s office for an appointment. When the doctor came in my mom asked who the girl was out in the waiting room. The doctor said, “That’s Yolonda Pirch” The doctor explained, she was being placed in a home with girls her age. She was having problems at home and she needed to be removed. The problem was no one was able to come and get her to bring her to the new home. My mom said, “Can I help with something?” The doctor had such a warm smile and she simply said, “I’m going to drive her. She is waiting for me to get done with work.” My mom said, ” Can I get her some dishes or furniture? I would love to help!” The doctor received my mom’s loving spirit but said, “No. They will have everything she needs.”

Humm…in the secret chambers in my heart I thought: This girl was being abused. And there is no way she has a real boyfriend because if she did he would be using her. She clearly had some kind of social or learning difficulties.

I went to the car by myself and just sat there. I started to cry. What was wrong with me I wondered. Why didn’t I take to her the way my mom did? Why was I so uncomfortable that I could barely look at her? Years ago, my reaction may not have bothered me. However, I felt convicted. I saw a reflection of myself I hated. I knew Jesus would have never treated her the way I did. I wanted to be different, I wanted to change. I sat in the car alone and it was like a light bulb went off.

Love.

One day God may ask us how we loved others. There are all kinds of people in this world. Rich ones, poor ones, black ones, white ones, mean ones, happy ones, one’s born different from me and you, and many others. How do we decide who we love? Treat others how we want to be treated. Well…who are the others?

Jesus said to invite the “others” to our houses and love past our comfort levels.

Luke 14:13-23 NASB
13 But whenever you give a banquet, invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping, and people who are blind; 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 6:32-38 NASB
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

In that moment in the car I understood something I never understood before. In seasons, some people we come in contact with may be placed there by God to see how we respond to them. God has a big heart for the poor, needy, orphans, and widows. Sometimes we get to be the others: the lame, poor, needy, orphans, or widows. It’s all relative. Sometimes we can’t understand another person’s pain until we are placed in it. There’s a time for everything. What if part of Yolonda Pirch’s purpose was to be created to see how others would treat her. What if she was created to be a test to others to give witness to the kind of person we really are. I don’t know if she has a full understanding or comprehension of God or sin. I’m not sure about her learning or cognitive impairment, but I do believe God created her for a purpose. And I know I failed this test. While I work on being a better follower of Jesus, maybe I am someone’s test. I’m sure I present awkwardness for someone else. I saw the light or wisdom in this experience. Treating others how you want to be treated is love, and sometimes we need to surrender our boundaries to God so He can use us the way He wants, and so we can reflect Him. Use wisdom always, some situations are dangerous, but by God’s Spirit He will show you and me how to love others better than we do.

This story is just a snapshot of a way I learned I could extend more love. The way we are called to love others extends to so many other bounds. For example: Loving your enemy, loving someone enough to tell them the truth even if it offends them, correcting someone in love, or loving someone enough to forgive them even if they caused you trauma or pain.

Activity:
Yolonda presented a challenge for me. Do you have difficulty showing love to others? Who makes you feel the most uncomfortable?

Which environments do you feel the most uncomfortable in?

Has anyone ever treated you in a non-loving way? If so, how did it make you feel?

Is there anyone around you, you can start to better extend your love to?

Is there anyone you need to forgive? If yes, how so?

Is there anyone you need to be honest with? If yes, how so?

Prayer Challenge:
Father, my goal is to be used by You. Please help me to not be fearful or timid and to love at all cost in all areas in my life. I know love is not an emotion, but it’s an action. Help me to carry out this action. Place me in more situations to help me to love in the way that pleases You. Help me not to run away from the assignment when You call. Help me to remember this is the second highest commandment. Help me to surrender my fears to You. Please fill my vision with ways in which You want to love others. Help to grow in loving others. In Your Name Yeshua (Jesus.) Amen.

Scriptures:
Matthew 22:36-40 NASB
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NASB
4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.9 For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

*This is a true story, the name, Yolonda Pirch, is fictitious to protect a true identity.