All About Love

Last night I watched a few episodes of the show Friday Night Lights, and had seen a couple before a couple of weeks ago. This is a very character-driven show, so let me give you an idea of what some of the characters are going through:

Matt: His mom is gone, his dad's in Iraq, and he has to take care of his grandmother who may have Alzheimer's. Oh yeah, and he's 16, goes to school, and is on the football team.

Tyra: While we may have joked at calling this girl a "walking mattress," the last episode I watched last night proved illuminating. Her mom cannot stand to be without a man, and always has a new boyfriend living with them at the house. And in this episode, this one was not only totally sleazy, but also abusive.

Tim: His parents are gone and he and his older brother have to fend for themselves.

It gave me a reality check that there are people who live in these pretty hopeless situations, and they don't have anyone to turn to. They don't have family, or their family is as messed up as them. Their friends are just as messed up. They don't know God. I can't imagine living like that, for even a second. It just seems like it would be too overwhelming, too overbearing. I am reminded that this is why it's so important to show people love. It's easy to be judgmental, but that's not what we're supposed to do, we're supposed to love others. That will show them God. Not condemning them. I'm so guilty of this though, so I hope that the next time a Matt or a Tyra or a Tim cross my path, I can show them the love of God.