Number one.

I talk about loving people. I talk about being like Jesus, and loving people like He did. Because, if I can't handle even such a seemingly simple act of sacrifice, what's the point?

Well, thinking about this, there's more to loving people than good intentions. It's more than telling myself that I need to love people, and then not doing anything differently because I always end up being trapped by the incredible vagueness of it all. How do you "love people", specifically? Does it just happen, oozing out of me like some uncontrollable substance, or do I actually have to actively do something?

And that was my problem. I've been thinking that "love" has some kind of formula. Step 1: Do something nice for the person. Step 2: Do something really nice for that person. Step 3....

Love is not a formula, however. No step-by-step process. That would be like saying I could figure God with my calculator. It seems like it would kind of be easier that way. But, not gonna happen. Love is spontaneous. It's real. And it has to be a genuine part of me from the start. I guess, loving people really is something that just "happens," but not quite. If that's who I am - not following some kind of formula - than it will just come naturally. And then, that's the fun part.