I stopped by my Grand Mother’s house today to pick up some flowers she wanted us to have.  Granny Hobbs is 91 now and for as long as I can remember she has given everything away.  My daughter asked me, “Why is she giving us that stuff?” Well she also included a case of Yoohoo, Sunny D and cookies.  I told my daughter, “Granny Hobbs came into this world with nothing and she will leave with nothing”, and she will be satisfied with that. 

As I walked around her house I noticed as I always have, the beautiful flowers and plants.  I told my wife “Everything she touches grows.”  Granny Hobbs has always given all she could to those around her.  She holds on to nothing too tightly, that if she saw a need that she couldn’t let it go.  She takes in animal, takes dead looking plants and is thoughtful of  those around her.  And everything she touches grows.  It is hard to quantify her sacrifice because her love, nurture and giving is so unassuming, selfless and seemingly effortless.  The people around her are transformed without even being aware that their lives have blossomed by her touch.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

Margeret Feinberg in her book “The Organic God” asks this question, “What does it look like to enter into someone’s life?  To embrace without hesitance?  To be fully human?  It looks like the person of Jesus.”

When love comes in the form of total identification the result is transformation.  Identification has to include personal touch.  When the barriers of self are put aside to embrace someone where they are, thats incarnation.  The neat thing about God’s love is how it embraces you where you are and its power to transform you into what you were created to be.  It causes the seed of God to grow and blossom.

“But God demonstrates HIs own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

When we embrace people where they are, not to change them, but to love them and to know them as friends, the power of God is released to transform them into His image by His Holy Spirit.  It’s hard work to change people.  But it’s effortless to truly love when there is no other agenda but to love.  Love is always difficult when it is mixed with another agenda.  Love comes from God. Love is the only debt we owe.  Love transforms.

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another…”  Romans 13:8

Are you loving incarnationally?