Covenant TGIF Message from Ron
A square has 4 ends. A triangle has 3 ends. A line has 2 ends. But a circle of our friendship has no end. Send this to all your friends (including me if I am one). If you get 5 back, you’re a good friend. If you get 10, you’re popular. If you get 15, wow, I’m jealous. Just copy and paste. No group chat 
.
This message was sent to me last week by my 7-year-old granddaughter Greer. However, according to her, she is almost 8! My immediate thought of this sweet message was how wonderful it was for her to take the time to personally send me such a loving message. She sent it just after 7 AM on a school day, so she was up early and chose to send her grandfather a loving message.
This email from Greer made me think about the past two week’s TGIF messages, which both focused on the need for human relationships in our lives. The first message focused on the difficulties in our lives when we don’t have enough human relationships, and the second message focused on the beautiful blossoms in our life from Chosen Family relationships we choose to create.
It is most desirable to create relationships with people of all ages, from young people to the elderly. This led me to remember a recent message I had read in my Tim Tebow book One-Year Devotional: Mission Possible. I find myself quoting more articles from this devotional than others because Tim writes about every day issues and opportunities that people face in their lives, and this is where I tend to try and focus my weekly messages as well. The devotional that caught my attention is titled Simple Love (for April 5 for those who may have Tim’s devotional). This devotional was written by a woman who had a special-needs daughter named Brittaney. The scripture that Tim used for this message is the following:
1 John 4:8 – The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The mother wrote Our sweet Brittaney did not recognize anyone’s differences; she loved everyone. … Brittaney showed us that it does not take a lot of material things to love people. Things like spending quality time with someone, listening, and holding a hand were natural ways for Brittaney to show compassion. In 1 John 4:8, John wrote that if we are children of the One whose nature is love, then we will be like Him. But love like that is not automatic or effortless. There is always room for growth. Practice simple love. Learn to love in a way that when your presence is not there, the joy and love you experience in God remains with others.
The innocence of children is wonderful to see, and to appreciate while it lasts. Because, oftentimes, they grow up too fast and eventually exhibit all the flaws of adults who have more experience from living in the real world. Like our innocent young grandchildren, we all need to learn from this message the need to demonstrate simple love to all those around us on a regular basis. It doesn’t mean we have to spend money to make our point of simple love – instead make a phone call to someone, or go visit an elderly person who maybe can’t get out as much anymore, or send a card of love to a friend.
One of the greatest inventions ever was FaceTime on iPhones because it allows grandparents to regularly communicate with their grandchildren (and I guess even with the parents of our grandchildren!). It allows us to keep up with their lives when we cannot be near them on a regular basis. It allows us to share simple love with them, and to tell them we love them on a very regular basis!!!
There are many ways we can exhibit simple love, and as children of God, it is essential to share this simple love with others on a very regular basis. I can assure you I will never forget the time Greer chose to send her grandfather a simple message of love one morning before going to school!!! Also, I did reply to Greer immediately and did tell her that I loved her, and that she was, indeed, a good friend of mine!