"I love you"

About a week ago, one of my little patients was getting ready for bed. Her mom had stepped out of the room and I was sitting with her trying to help her fall asleep. I leaned over to her to hold her hand and wish her a good night and she pulled me close, kissed me on the cheek and said "I love you."

This sweet little girl has been part of my thoughts and prayers for the last two weeks and I've watched her heal and struggle with sickness, developed relationships with her family, and been able to visit her.

But not only has this sweet patient, made me think about her. But she has inspired me and challenged me to learn to love ALL of my patients better. 

This little girl was cute- she was a princess. She was easy to love.

But each one of my patients deserves love. Even though they may be harder to love.

My close girl friends and I all tell each other I love you when we're done with conversation. I don't know how this happened because I'm not a clingy or overly affirming person. I don't know which friend started inspiring me but one of my friends continuously gives encouragement and says how much she loves me. It somehow started a pattern.

And once it got started, it was easy to sustain. Because we all want to be loved. We all struggle with the desire to feel love and worth and seen- especially as women. So as friends (as girls) we affirm each other. We lift each other up intentionally. And I think on a rough day, knowing that you are loved and supported is so valuable.

So often we put each other down, and we criticize each other. But we are often slow to give compliments, slow to affirm, because what if our love was misunderstood? What if we were judged wrongly? 

We are so afraid of loving the wrong person or loving someone who doesn't love us back. But so often this fear keeps us from diving deep into real and personable relationships. How can we love like Jesus if we are so afraid?

"I love you" means I choose to love you like Christ loves me and like the child of God you are.

 It's easy to say, but it doesn't have to be cheap. It can be powerful and effective.

And maybe if we said "I love you more" maybe people could start to understand that they are loved. That Jesus is crazily in love with them.