Do you know that love matters? Not only does it matter, but love over time is the one thing that matters most. Love over time shows me, you, and everyone that we are worth something. So today, I am going to walk you down memory lane with me to share with you some of the women, all mother figures, who loved me over time and are a part of who I am today. They all taught me many different things, in many different ways, and for that I am grateful. So I invite you to pray with me over the sermon titled ?Love Over Time.?

From the minute I was born, I was hugged and kissed and loved by my mom. The woman who made the decision to raise me differently than she had been raised. Who asked the hospital staff if she could stay a little longer because she didn?t really know what to do with me once we were at home. And years later she would remind me that I didn?t come with an operating manuel. She loved me regardless, even when she didn?t like me a whole bunch. We haven?t always agreed, nor will we. And we haven?t always communicated well, but at least we keep trying. We have both said hurtful words to each other, but we have grown in those hard times. I have had my moms love, support, and encouragement all along the way, even when she didn?t agree 100%. And when Mom wasn?t the one who I could go to, God brought other people into my life when I needed them. Susan took me under her wing; she saw a light inside of me and nurtured, challenged, prepared, and encouraged me to dig deeper into who God was calling me to be. Susan mentored me and put me in situations where I could try new things, explore possibilities, and fail so I could learn from my mistakes. She would walk beside me and help pull me up when it was needed. She allowed for me to complain about my mom, offered counsel to mom and guided us both through the dreaded teenage years. But Susan didn?t do this alone. There had been many Sunday school teachers, friends parents, the parents of kids I babysat for, and teachers who loved me all along the way…who loved me over time.? And Ms. D. was one of those moms. Our youth group was blessed to have Ms. D and Howie and other amazing adults, as our extra parents. We considered ourselves their bonus kids. From canoeing and camping trips, to driving practice, to Summer conferences and road trips, to youth group, to real honest talks and hard talks…mixed in with lots of dancing, laughing, and plain ole goofing around! Ms D was a woman of faith who walked the path with me and many other young women. She loved me and my friends over time. And there were probably many times when my mom, Susan, and Ms D probably didn?t love me a whole lot?.Maybe they…Lost that loving feeling…Okay, thanks Mike, but I don?t think it was every really gone…Maybe they lost that liking feeling…Anyway, where were we…Oh, yay. These ladies and many other women and men I could mention and talk about, but yall would probably like to enjoy they day with your family instead of listen to me ramble all day. But hopefully as I have shared these memories, it has caused you to go through that rolodex of people in your minds who loved you over time (maybe even lost that loving feeling) and in loving you over time, showed you how worth it you were and are to them…and God.

God showed the people throughout time that they were worth being in relationship. God would go through great lengths to show love to them and to show to us now. I am sharing thoughts and ideas from a book called ?Playing for Keeps? by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy. In their book they shared about how the Pharisees were the religious leaders who believed in God and spent a great deal of time learning what they thought mattered to God. When it came to learning, studying, and preparing, no one worked harder at keeping the rules, showed up at the temple more consistently, prayed longer and harder, or studied scripture more diligently. They were so busy doing these important things, they missed the most important thing. So when the Pharisees asked Jesus what mattered the most, what was the greatest commandment, Jesus responded saying it is to love. Jesus reprioritized the 10 commandments, the law, everything by telling the Pharisees that love matters. Loving God matters, loving yourself matters, loving people matters. Actually the Greatest Commandments makes several points at once about love?.

Loving God helps you love yourself. Loving God helps you love others. Loving yourself helps you love God. Loving yourself helps you love others. Loving others helps you love God. Loving others helps you love yourself. And all are true at the same time. And lets not minimize the teachings of Jesus-love matters. So the Beatles may have sung about it, but Jesus had the idea first…how does that song go?(I will ponder the song and you start singing) All you need is love? Thanks Mike, that summed it up!

Love is?

The summary of the rest of the commandments.

The foundation for how we should treat others.

The mission for every church.

The filter for how we should see the world.

The framework for what we say and teach.

The blueprint for building our lives.

The reason Jesus came to sacrifice His life for us.

We know God used time to prove something God could only prove over time. God?s love for us is unconditional and predictable. You and I know we matter because we matter to God. So if love matters, the way you love others matters too; especially the way you love kids. Have you ever stopped to think that love happens to be the best strategy to help kids know they matter? Or maybe that love matters more in the life of a kid than it does in the life of an adult? Kids need to learn to love themselves while they?re kids. Kids need adults who will love them in a way that will convince them they are worth something. If kids don?t feel loved when they are young, they may never love themselves in a healthy way. And if they never learn to love themselves, they may ultimately self-destruct. So the way you love kids while they?re kids can dramatically affect their futures.

That?s why we need more adults to step up. It?s time to get serious about loving the children around you. The more love we put into children, the more we will get out of children. So it?s like investing-it gains shares. The sooner you start paying in, the greater the return will be later. The longer you wait, the less you earn. Friends, there is a brief window of time–from birth through adolescence–when what we do in someone?s life can matter more than at any other time. So if you want kids to grow up and know they are worth it, then let?s look for ways to prove it over time. Kids and teenagers need adults who will show up and be there: Consistently, patiently, and regardless.

You might be wondering what any of this has to do with you. Or you might be wondering what you could do and how you could be involved with children in our congregation or at our preschool or the local elementary, middle, or high schools. Or maybe you are feeling a little tug at your heart and thinking you wished someone had stepped into your life when you were a child or teenager and been there for you…Or maybe, just maybe, you are sitting here and thinking I need to be that person now. I want children and teenagers to know they are worth more than they know and I want to tell them that love matters.

Maybe you figure that since you know you love them, and you tell them you love them, they should understand you love them…but instead those young people are saying ?Prove It?. Show me that what you promised in my baptism means something to you.

It starts with showing up. Simple, right? Be present, be real, be honest. That means putting your phone away and not responding to emails or texts or answering the phone. It means standing in the same room with children and teenagers. It means being in relationship with someone younger than you that you might not fully understand. Remember, you are busy giving a child worth. You are proving it. A part of showing up always means having rules and boundaries with the kids. God gave rules all the time. That was one of the main ways God showed up…and God proved to care for all of the people. If I think back to the women in my life who was there throughout, Susan is the one who comes to mind first as showing up. She was and still is only a phone call away.? She guided me, encouraged me, gave me rules and boundaries, and trusted me. She has proved her care for me over and over the past 25 years. When I was growing up, if I needed her, she was there. And now, I know if I called, she would be here now.? I have realized that there have been people in my life over the years who I thought would always show up, but they haven?t…you learn that when you go through difficult times and hardships. Some people show up and prove it, and it is worth being that person in someone?s life.

Showing up is the easy one…you ready for the next??? The next ?prove it? is to know them. You think that is easy? I know there are many times when I think I know what Emma is going to say, and she surprises me with something completely different. Almost like she is testing me on a daily basis with ?how well does mommy know me.? So I now realize there are 3 categories of information for any leader or parent:

The things we?re supposed to know that no one tells us.
The things we?re supposed to know, but that can change at any minute because they have a right to change them.
The things we?re not supposed to know because they think it?s none of our business.

Sometimes it?s hard to know what falls into each category. But the stakes are too high not to make knowing them a priority. I have to realize that I need to spend time over time discovering and re-discovering the things that make them uniquely who they are…my daughter and the children of our congregation. And as I reflect on those in my life who knew how to know me and my friends, I remember how Ms. D could always get in. She knew when to listen, to push, to talk, and to hang out. She made knowing us, the kids at church, a priority…in her time with us, we knew, I knew, I was worth it. And now, I can run into her at the grocery store, the YMCA, or the beach, and know that I am still worth it and she is proud of who I am…and she is a part of who I have grown up to be.

And if you think showing up and knowing them are hard (or easy), then this one is the hardest…never run away. Maybe you have thought about packing your bags and moving out (or moving your teenager out) until the times were better…But there have been times when we have probably all, unintentionally, disengaged emotionally. I know I have been guilty of that. But after we heard the stories of the Old Testament, did you ever wonder why God didn?t just fully abandon the people? God gave them rules, they broke them, and God kept showing up…God didn?t pack a suitcase and say I am out of here! No, God kept creating opportunities for them to get it, continuing to show up, and prove how unconditionally the people were loved. God showed up anyway. God continued to love the people no matter what. And I believe my mom has been that person in my life because God has been with her through it all. I have known since I could know, that she isn?t going anywhere, I still matter (even if I think she loves Emma more than me, which I truly believe she does), and she will see me through any mess I get in…I know my mom is committed to me even when it?s difficult, or I am difficult, when it is inconvenient, and messy. Mom will see me through any mess, and I will see her through any mess or inconvenience. Packing bags just isn?t an option any more.

Daniel…trying to figure out if there is a good transition chorus for this section…what do you think?

So love over time matters…it is the one thing that matters most. So let?s prove it. Let?s show up, know them, and never run away. More importantly, let?s show their families. God showed up time and time again trying to have a relationship with the people. Relationships are such a key piece of being the people of God. So I want to encourage us to show up, know them, never run away…for one another and the children and youth and their families?.because the relationships you have with one another and God shows everyone that they are worth it. God thought all of you were worth it. Let?s let others know they are worth our love. Because:

Loving God helps you love yourself. Loving God helps you love others. Loving yourself helps you love God. Loving yourself helps you love others. Loving others helps you love God. Loving others helps you love yourself.

Amen.