February is known as the month of love. Some people find their true love, some are born on Valentines Day, while others ignore this month altogether. Jesus tells us the most important command of all is to love!

“Jesus answered, “The first and most important one is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-32

So do I really desire this? I surely love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind, but what about loving my neighbor? And who truly is my neighbor? Could my neighbor be my own family member who I have shunned? Could it be my friend who I don’t call a friend any longer? Or is it just the guy who lives down the street that I wave to every now or then?

I have been thinking a lot about unconditional love. From what I understand, unconditional love is when you love so deeply without any hopes of love in return. I find that so many times, I love, knowing that the person I feel a great connection with is so distant.

Children, especially teenagers can fall into this category. My grandson is a huge part of my life. Yet, I know that he has his friends, his hopes and desires and they do not include me. Do I love him any less? Gosh no! I love him even more so. That to me, in this period of time and space, is unconditional love. I could never turn my back on him no matter what choices he makes. Whether he is my flesh and blood, or a child I raised from the time he was five, he surely is worthy to love.

Yesterday I was told that because someone is not your flesh and blood, they are not yours. So all these beautiful children that are adopted, my dear friends who are fatherless or motherless, my Dad who married my Mom when I was in my 20’s, are not family? What kind of love is that? Did Jesus tell us to only love who we choose? He loves all of us, whether we love him or not. Even on the cross, he chose to love the ones who crucified him. That is some crazy kind of love!

When we become Christians, when we choose the Lord to be our one and only savior, we become family in all the sense of blood, flesh and bones! Our surnames, our earthly parents are an added bonus, but the true gift is our inherited brothers and sisters. The family we marry into, our children we accept as our own-flesh and blood, test us to our wits end. But in the end, when we are called to account for how we lived, I believe our Heavenly Father will be more interested in how we loved!

Unconditional love is the key to living a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. Once we grasp this command, we can truly appreciate all that Jesus desires from us. So no matter who you are, what family you have attached to, the only way you will ever get to know God is when you open your heart, and learn to love unconditionally.