For we must first love the “self” the Creator intended us to be before we can truly love others like Christ. Once we learn to love ourselves just as we are created, we can then forgive all who were not able to love us like we needed to be loved. It’s a journey. It requires healing past wounds, setting our bitter hearts free, and embracing life through the eyes of Holy wonder. When we finally figure out that no one in this world satisfies our longing for deep love, we then learn that the only one who is able to truly and unconditionally love us has been Christ all along. It is deep. Abide in that love.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16
Abide = an action word; to remain, even in the hardest times; focused intention, even when giving up is easier; an attitude of Christ’s love in us, for us, and for others…