The Last Kiss…

I want to be the last one kissed. Our Grand Daughter was making the rounds with our family kissing each one goodbye. She was giving them a peck on the cheek and sometimes a brief hug. She had an opportunity to start with me, I was closest to her when her parents announced it was time to go. But she smiled at me and reached for her aunts and then her uncles and then her grandmother. After she said goodbye to everyone she reached for me and embraced me tightly giving me a big long kiss it had a noise with it something like “mmmmmmmmmmmmmm smack”. It was at that moment that I decided for the rest of my life I want to be the last one kissed.

 I am probably tempted to put too much emphasis on the event but it does feel wonderful to know that you are loved. We talk a great deal about love but we are not very good at the actions of love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10 Love never dies. (I Cor. 13:4-7)

When it comes to the demonstration of love we often fall short. We give up too soon, we put ourselves first and others last, we are jealous, we overvalue what we do and undervalue what others do. We keep score of the failures of others but easily dismiss our own failings. We secretly enjoy it when we can say “I told you so”. 

The last kiss from Allison before she left was a wonderful and priceless gift. I would not trade it for the wealth of the world. I always want to be last in line now. Watching her express true love to all the family was so wonderful and the crowning moment was to be the last in line.

Last in line is so different from how we choose to live our daily lives. We don’t like lines and we especially don’t wish to be last. But when it comes to expressing the Love of God it can be greatly rewarding to be on the front lines of giving and in the back of the line for receiving.

Like my granddaughter Allison, our Heavenly Father loves to spend quality time with those in the back of the line. When we are in mission with Him, in the loving on others business, we are so close to His heart we can hear it beating.

For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Lk. 19:10)

Are you living your life in Mission with Jesus? It’s the only way to live. In fact I would go as far to say that life truly begins when you get connected with Jesus in mission. It is so wonderful to be the last one kissed!

Pastor Alan Kirkpatrick

Grace Place www.gp.church

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