There are no exceptions to the commands of Jesus!

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:43-45

I have only this past week learned that I will definitely be losing my job in three weeks after only believing it was a strong possibility for more than two and a half months. My first reaction this week was to search out for someone to blame--of course, surely never myself! I immediately designated these persons (whom I don't even know) as my “enemies.”

And that took me straight to Jesus’ words above. Wow! Imagine that! "LOVE your enemies!"

But just exactly how can we love our enemies—or more broadly speaking, taking Jesus’ words as they must be implied—how can we love everyone?

We can begin by trying to to look at persons we don’t even know … without even seeing their faces. It’s basically the way we see our family members and close friends ... like when you can see deeper. You can see WHO they are far more than WHAT they are—or what they have done to us.

Has it ever happened to you? It’s more evident when there’s someone who seems sad. You look into their eyes, and it’s almost as if their whole life plays out in that split second. And when you see that pain, that hurt, in their eyes… it’s almost like you would do ANYTHING to make them happy.

It’s all you truly want. Despite everything … the hate in the world, the decisions people may make … everyone is still equal … but the factor that sets us apart is our ability to ACCEPT others.

When you can start to realize that everyone is an amazing creation of Our Lord, then we begin to realize that beauty is everywhere—that life is a miracle created by love. Only then is it easier to love everyone. When you love everyone, you want to help everyone. That’s when you can make the difference in the world, because that’s when you have an undying passion for people—all people. Once you attain that love for all, it never goes away.

Loving is not only the strongest force known to man—but also gives you a feeling of euphoria ... a feeling that causes your eyes to widen and take in everything like a sponge.

You truly love life, and you just can’t stop smiling. I only this past week learned I will be losing my job and guess what? I’m smiling with love for absolutely everyone ... and in particular, anyone who helped to bring this situation about. They were only doing what had to be done and also with and for the love of anyone affected by my job loss.

May God's perfect plan be fulfilled in LOVE ... no matter what the future brings!