Sheri Wohlfert
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Talks & Topics
    • Discipleship & Evangelization
    • Women's Ministry
    • Catholic Schools
    • Catholic Hospitality Training
  • Events & Bookings
  • About
  • Contact

Joyful Words Blog

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. 

– Psalm 119:105

The Requirement

10/24/2019

4 Comments

 
Love requires sacrifice…always!

It’s not scripture but it’s a powerful truth I seem to forget.  Sacrifice often takes a back seat to convenience and comfort.  We prefer easy, speedy and painless and then wonder why we don’t feel fulfilled.  The important stuff;  the stuff that leaves us joyful and alive; that’s the stuff that involves love and requires sacrifice.

I’ve had several nudges lately that remind me how true this statement is.  We are called by the greatest commandment to love, and the truth is, we can’t follow that commandment without sacrifice. Sometimes that sacrifice is small, for instance, I love my students but spending time  in the evenings and on weekends to grade or plan is a sacrifice.  Other times the sacrifice is much bigger.  I hugged a good friend at her father’s wake this week and she lovingly told me she was so happy for her dad and found peace just thinking about him rejoicing and being free from pain. Her perspective and strength were inspiring but the sacrifice of that love will weigh heavy  on her days for quite a while.

Sometimes the sacrifice needs to look like patience.  Sometimes it needs to sound like a swallowed opinion.  Sometimes it needs to appear to be sand slipping through our fingers as we let go of the past or of our own agenda.  Sacrifice is loving people exactly how they are and where they are.  Sometimes we’re called to love someone just by being present and there is sacrifice in keeping quiet and not trying to fix or change them.  The people who love us back make it easy to love but we’re also called to show Christ’s love to those who can give nothing in return and that is truly a sacrifice.

I think about all the times I’ve tried to find the perfect gift to show my love for someone. When I heard this line spoken by a movie character I realized I’ve been shopping the wrong way.  I suppose the more we love, the more we should be willing to sacrifice.  I loved my children but I’m not sure they always saw my carpool complaining as a loving sacrifice.  This simple little line can bleed into doing the laundry and helping with homework and holding the flashlight in the rain so Dave can figure out why the tractor is making a weird noise.  This kind of love happens in the middle of the night after a bad dream or at the end of the day when you wan’t to tune out the world but someone you love just really wants to spill their heart.  

There have been times when I’ve wondered if all the sacrifice of a relationship  was worth it or if it was really supposed to be so hard and one-sided, but as I’ve prayed with these words for a few weeks I realized I was looking at it out of balance.  Love and sacrifice aren’t always equal.  Sometimes we receive love far greater than we sacrifice and more often than not it is opposite.  We’re  able to sacrifice and love others but at some point we expect to receive love in return.  We want to feel there is something in it for us.  I forget that my call to love others isn’t to get something in return.  Love is so much bigger than all the warm fuzzy feelings.  Love is the duty of a disciples and the way to keep that in balance is to realize each person that crosses our path is there so I can show them the love of Christ.  It’s not about loving so I can get something back, it’s about loving so I can  love  Jesus himself.   When I look at Jesus on the cross I find the truth because it reminds me that there is more love poured out on me than I could ever imagine.  I know I will never be called to love with a sacrifice anywhere near that magnitude but when I recall his sacrifice for me, it helps put my teeny little sacrifices for others in perspective.  Again, I remember it’s not about me at all!

A Seed To Plant:  Who can you love today?
Blessings on your day!

4 Comments
Pat
10/24/2019 12:11:53 pm

Thank you Sheri Your words hit home today which they do most days but today’s words reminded me to love that person who gets under my skin and frustrates me sooo . Need to place her in a place of honor in my thoughts and prayers today. Blessings my friend.

Reply
Michelle
10/24/2019 01:16:17 pm

Sheri, I’m loving this post! I needed this reminder to stop complaining when I make a sacrifice. I will try to show God’s love with the people that are put in my path! Blessings and thank you for your beautiful insights.

Reply
Joan Bailey
10/24/2019 01:23:30 pm

As always, thank you for your wonderful insights! This particular one is such a great reminder for me :) Thank you for sharing it! Blessings on your day & looking forward to your talk at St. Patrick's in December!

Reply
Mellan Hansen
10/24/2019 08:09:56 pm

This hit home with me!!
"Sometimes we’re called to love someone just by being present and there is sacrifice in keeping quiet and not trying to fix or change them"
I needed to read this today!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to Joyful Words Blog
    Subscribe

    Sheri's writing can also be found at Faith Catholic Publications and on CatholicMom.com
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Email     [email protected]

Phone   989.640.6673

Subscribe to Joyful Words Blog

* indicates required
/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Content is the intellectual property of Sheri Wohlfert
Created by Olivia K Design
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Talks & Topics
    • Discipleship & Evangelization
    • Women's Ministry
    • Catholic Schools
    • Catholic Hospitality Training
  • Events & Bookings
  • About
  • Contact