Love like crazy…

My name is Jynelle Jacobsen & I am a control freak……maybe. I call it a “planner,” but others call it a control freak. I do appreciate being prepared…I mean, I would have been a great Girl Scout. My goal is to be prepared for whatever life brings my way. Need a kleenex? I have one right here. Need a drink…..here is my stocked fridge. Need some money? well…..I have some pocket lint. Until recently I just chalked all this up to appreciating being organized. Until recently, that is…..

In a Bible study I attend, we have been studying the book of Luke. Luke is one of the four Gospels at the very beginning of the New Testament. I remember where it is because of a song I learned a child, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John….Acts & Letters to the Romans….” The book of Luke was written by a physician. His purpose in writing the book was to give an accurate account of what had happened with Jesus for his friend….he wanted his friend to be assured that it was all true & correct. He was fact-checking. Normally I would describe the job of “fact checking” as totally boring…..but imagine fact checking Jesus. He gave account of His conception, His birth, His ministry…..& His love. I love his accounts of the miracles Jesus did….Jesus ticked so many people off!! He healed so many people physically & spiritually. But why would this make some people mad? Wouldn’t humans with any sort of heart want to see other people healed, made whole & able to live the life they were given? Well….not exactly.

You see, Jesus wasn’t doing this all according to their rules. He was at the temple on the Sabbath & Jesus picked out a woman who was so bent over with sickness she couldn’t stand up. Imagine having to look at the ground & at people’s dirty feet all the time. She was like this because of a spirit….not the good kind…that had decided to take up residence in her. Jesus saw this, had compassion on her & changed her life completely. She got new life in more ways than one! What a time to praise God!!! But no…..there wasn’t any of that. Why? Apparently, the Son of God in human form wasn’t following the rules. How dare He doing something like this on the Sabbath!! They even had the gall to tell others around not to bother trying to get healed by Jesus on the Sabbath! I mean….wasn’t the Sabbath supposed to be God’s day? So shouldn’t he be able to do whatever He wants to? So why were these men…men who claimed to love God & the work of God so against Him showing his love?? Control. The rules of man let them keeps some semblance of control.

Isn’t that why I have some rules at my house? Control? Four kids running amok with no direction & boundaries would make even the most laid back person want to pull out their hair!!! But…my question has been, how does my desire for control inhibit God? I mean, obviously I am a small girl who lives in Greeley, CO….I can’t put God in a box. But I can ignore Him. I can ignore His cues. I can ignore His open doors. All in the name of control & planning. How much have I missed?? How many people have I ignored & gone by because I am busy? I mean, I have responsibilities! I have a two year old that rejects rejection! I can’t ignore her if I try…..& I have a husband….& other kids that I am helping to educate. I can’t just walk around aimlessly waiting to see what God is going to do! Or can I? Isn’t my family my ministry? Or is this just a lame excuse for me to keep the blinders on?

So here is a question for you….can you love & still be in control? I don’t mean just love…..but “LOVE!” Can you show compassion on a stranger while still trying to be in control? Doesn’t love get in the way of control? Being able to respond to a need or a desire out of nothing but love……that can be inconvenient. When is the last time one of my kids got hurt & needed my attention & love on MY schedule?! How many important conversations have I missed the opportunity to have because my thoughts were somewhere else? When is the last time a person decided to ask for help of me on my calendar? Or how about the stranger on the corner needing some assistance……I don’t think they checked with my secretary before needing help. (ok, I don’t really have a secretary, but a girl can dream). I wonder how many needs I have ignored or only partially committed to because I was too busy trying to be in control like the Pharisees? Looking at a woman I have known of before who has a HUGE need….a need only a Savior can meet, & not loving her enough like Christ does to rejoice in her salvation instead of criticize for the salvation’s timing. That is what the Pharisees did, isn’t it? How many times have I had a total lack of compassion because of all the other stuff I labeled as more important? Sadly, too many.

Chris Rice has a song called “Love like Crazy,” that I think sums it up. I don’t think the words ‘crazy’ & ‘control’ are friends. You can’t be both…..unless it’s something like “that lady is so crazy to try to stay in control!” I think God wants us to lose control….our own perceived control…..& give in to Him. Frankly, I don’t know how to do that. I’m not even sure it’s something I want to do…..it’s scary for a control-freak like me.

If we could all love the way Jesus loved….what would this all look like?

I heard a rumor
that love will make you crazy.
Well is it true?
Well that's no rumor;
Look at the crazy things
that love made Jesus do.
Well, the friends He chose
were thought to be outrageous (yes they were)
And you could even find Him
touching the contagious, yeah (yeah you could)
And the craziest is how
He chose to save us, save us-
He gave His life away.
Then He had to go and say
"Got to love the same way
that I love you."

Chorus:
Love like crazy, yeah
(love like crazy)
Gotta love like crazy
(love like crazy)
Gotta love like crazy
The way He loves you and me
'Cause if the world's ever gonna change
We gotta love like crazy.

What the world needs now
is for love to spread
as fast as the rumors do.
To make it
we gotta take this thing
from another whole point of view.
Start by keeping our vows
and not breaking promises.
And bring hope
to the Women at the Well,
and the Doubting Thomases.
And you kids,
you gotta cheerfully
do what your Pops and your Momma says.
'Cause He gave His life away.
Then He had to go and say
"Got to love the same way
that I love you."

'Cause if the world's ever gonna change.
You gotta love like crazy.
(love like crazy)
You gotta love like crazy.
(love like crazy)
You gotta love like crazy.
The way He loves you and me
'Cause if the world's ever gonna change,
If the world's ever gonna change,
If the world's ever gonna change,
We gotta love...