There is no one on the face of this earth that has taught me to love people better than my husband!

Oh, I have been shown love, I have given love and forced myself to love at times. I can even be quoted as saying, “I am a people person,” and “I love people!” While I believe that I am and that I do, I am afraid if I am completely honest with myself, I must admit that the majority of the time those people are “My People!”

They are the people I have chosen! They are family, friends, colleagues, and associates that I click with! We have similar interests, similar beliefs, similar backgrounds, and even similar people that we connect with. Truth is, they are the people I like and the people I love! They are “My People” and the people that are easy for me to love!

Not my husband! Not Jim Swaney! He loves all people. I am ashamed to admit that I have even said to him that he is, “The Finder of all the lost puppy dogs!”

As I reflect on our 40 years, this year, of marriage and ministry, I see now that it is most likely the other way around! 

The lost puppy dogs find him! He listens to them. He spends time with them. He counsels them. He helps them and meets their needs. He never gives up on them. He truly loves them with the love of God!

Jim Swaney is a Man among Men and a Pastor among Pastors! He gets down in the muck and the myer with People and gets dirty. He sits with them in their mess and prays with them and councils them with the Word of God and demonstrates God‘s love for them, by being the hands and feet of Jesus to them! 

Jim does not know a stranger! All of God’s people have value and worth to him because they have value and worth to God!

I have seen Jim walk with someone through a civil trial and into jail and through jail and out of jail! I have seen him counsel those who have been unfaithful in marriage, and those who have had their spouse be unfaithful to them! I have seen him love those with athletic ability like himself and love those who have no interest or care about being athletic! I have seen him love the unlovely of Society with the heart of Jesus himself. 

Jim Swaney has demonstrated for me how to take God’s greatest commandment and live it out to its fullest while living the second like it at the same time.

I was recently reminded, by a card sent to me in the mail, just how much others at church see my husband, to quote them, “always finding the time to listen and care for them,” and live out the commandment Jesus gives us in Mark!

“Jesus replied: “Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. All the Law and The Prophets hang on these two commandments. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Mark 12:28-31

I do not know about you, but I find the first commandment fairly easy to follow. The second however, is a far greater challenge!

“Love my neighbor as myself!”

I believe God is saying here that my neighbor is anyone and everyone that I am around! If this is true, and I believe it is, then it can get messy!

We are to love them like God loves them!

For lack of time I would shorten it to say;

“Love your neighbor through the good, the bad and the ugly!”

I am sure glad that there are people in this world like Jim Swaney who love all of God’s people unconditionally like God does. He is my example of living out this verse the way God tells me to!

TRUTH BOMB

LOVING GOD’S PEOPLE CAN BE MESSY BUT PRAISE GOD HE IS THE CUSTODIAN! 

God has cleaned up the mess of our lives.

We need to love Him and love others,  trusting He will clean up their mess too!

Speak Truth Love