Unconditional Love

I had a student many years ago that was dear to my heart.  He was an average student, but he always tried his best and had great manners.  The circumstances of his life, which he wasn’t responsible for, found him being raised by his maternal grandmother.  Years later he would visit me and during one of those visits I questioned how he was able to walk through the neighborhood without anyone bothering him. 

You see, our school wasn’t located in the safest ‘hood’ and though I enjoyed his visits; I was very concerned for his safety.  This student that was dear to my heart; that always tried his best and had the best manners looked me in my eyes and said, “I’m running it!”  He further explained after my quizzical look that he was in charge of the gangs in theneighborhood and therefore he could walk where he wanted in this particular ‘hood’. 

My heart sank and for a moment, all the good thoughts I cherished about him almost went out the window.  But a still, small voice spoke very clearly in my heart and said, “How can you stop loving someone just because they no longer fit your image of them?”

As fate would have it, this story didn’t end well, but God taught me something that has been irrevocable and that is ‘unconditional love’.  This scene occurred nearly 25 years ago and I have never been the same.  My initial thoughts were that I needed to change him, to save him, to convince him of his wrong.  And though all of this needed to occur, the first thing that needed to happen was to love him. 

I believe that’s what God did when he gave his only begotten Son so that we might not perish, but have everlasting life.  I believe my student changed, but not my will but by God’s awesome unconditional love shared with me that day.  I believe my student changed and though it didn’t happen while I could still see him; I believe that some of that love I tried to show him during subsequent visits might have found him calling on the name of Jesus in those last dark moments.

Yours Because He Lives,