Building With Love
My FiDay 12 Building with Love
John 13:34-35, CEB 34 “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. 35 This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”
My father fashioned his work ethic, moral code, and values after his stepfather, who guided him and helped mold him into the builder he became. My dad did not have an easy childhood. He faced many challenges that could have hardened him, yet he remained gentle and kind.
One thing he always impressed upon me — especially as I grew and found my own voice — was to always love and forgive. I remember hearing stories of his upbringing and wondering how he could possibly forgive those who had hurt him most.
When I left for college, my mother was battling alcoholism, and my dad’s construction work often took him out of state. I felt alone, abandoned, and lost. It was in that season that I realized my parents were human — not without faults, mistakes, and pain.
Those faults caused strain and frustration, anger and hurt. I remember so many conversations with my dad when I wanted to stay mad, to cling to my pride. But he would patiently listen, acknowledge my hurt, and then gently remind me that holding on to bitterness would only build walls around my heart.
“Forgive,” he would say. “Choose love when it’s hard.” Now, as a parent myself, I see the wisdom in his words. I see that he wasn’t just building houses or foundations of concrete — he was setting a foundation of love within me. Just as Jesus built His church on love, my dad built his family on it, one act of forgiveness, one gentle conversation at a time.
Love is the foundation. It’s what holds when everything else feels cracked or uncertain. And now, it’s my turn to keep building — to teach my children to love one another, to love their neighbors, and even to love those who have hurt them. This Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, may we remember that love is the structure that stands firm through all seasons. Jesus laid the foundation; it’s up to us to keep building.
Reflect: How are we, as the body of Christ, building the foundation with love towards others? In our community? In our own homes? In our families?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the foundation of love You have laid through Jesus. Help me to forgive as I’ve been forgiven and to love, even when it’s difficult. May the legacy of love passed down to me continue through my words, actions, and relationships. Let my life be a reflection of Your patient, steadfast love. Amen.
Mariah Hancock The Journey Sunday Morning Group, Experiencing God Study rst paragraph with bold text.