Leading With Love

Do everything with love.

Molly was confused. She and Andrea had been in orchestra together for a while, and Molly considered her a good friend. Yet every time she asked Andrea to spend the night at her house on Saturday nights, Andrea said no. What was baffling to Molly, though, was how Andrea always said no immediately, without ever saying she’d think about it or ask her mom.

“I don’t get it,” Molly told her mom one day, admitting that she didn’t know why Andrea kept saying no.

“Maybe there’s more to it than her not wanting to stay over,” her mom reasoned. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Do you want me to talk to Molly’s mom and see if we can find a solution?”

Relieved, Molly nodded yes.

The next time the girls had an orchestra concert, Molly’s mom approached Andrea’s mom and gently asked about it.

“Oh, that’s because Andrea knows we have temple on Saturdays,” her mom said. Their Jewish traditions meant they worshiped on Saturday evenings.

“I completely understand,” Molly’s mom said, then paused. “I don’t want to make it awkward for you, but we’d be fine with Molly going to temple with your family.”

From then on, the girls alternated. If they stayed at Andrea’s house, the girls went to Jewish temple with her family. If they had a sleepover at Molly’s house, they went to Christian church together on Sunday morning. In this way, the two friends were able to find a solution that respected their families while still enjoying fun sleepovers together.

As friends, it can sometimes feel tricky to navigate relationships with those who don’t share our beliefs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t extend a hand of friendship. Jesus loves everyone, and as his ambassadors here on earth, we are to show love to those around us as well. Sometimes that means simply listening or being present for a friend. Other times, it means recognizing that even though we may not believe the same things that our friends do, or even if we have different traditions, we can still find ways to honor our friends’ beliefs without compromising our own. Because we have Jesus in our hearts, we take him with us everywhere we go—and this is one way we can show his love for others.

Things to Think About

• What does it mean to “do everything with love”? What might that look like?
• How can you respond with love to a friend who has a different rule or belief than you do?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Ask a friend to tell you about something in their life that’s unfamiliar to you.