No Matter What
Have you ever thought about what “no matter what” really means? We say it often – to our children, to our loved ones, sometimes even to ourselves. But do we truly grasp the depth of that promise? It’s easy to love when the sun is shining, when life flows smoothly like a gentle stream. But unconditional love asks for more.
This kind of love doesn’t pause to check the weather. It doesn’t measure the temperature of the room before entering. It simply is. Present. Constant. Unwavering. Like the sacred space within us that holds the divine, this love creates a sanctuary that remains intact through every storm.
Most times, we struggle with this concept because we’ve learned to put conditions on everything. If you do this, then I’ll do that. If you meet these expectations, then you’ll receive this reward. But real unconditional love throws away the rulebook. It doesn’t keep score or maintain an internal ledger of rights and wrongs.
Consider, for a moment, how God’s love operates. It doesn’t diminish as we stumble. It doesn’t withdraw when we question. It doesn’t fade when we forget to look up and acknowledge God’s presence. Like the air we breathe, it simply continues to sustain us, asking nothing in return except that we allow ourselves to receive it. And, it takes some effort to avoid breathing!
This is the kind of love that Francis of Assisi embodied when he embraced the leper, when he spoke to the wolf of Gubbio, when he called the sun his brother and the moon his sister. He understood that love transcends our human categories and conditions. It flows freely, like living water, nourishing everything it touches.
Perhaps the greatest challenge isn’t in giving this kind of love – though that’s certainly difficult enough – but in accepting it. In believing that we are worthy of being loved “no matter what.” In trusting that the love will remain even when we can’t see it through our tears or feel it through our pain.
Take a moment to reflect: When was the last time you allowed yourself to be loved unconditionally? Without trying to earn it, deserve it, or repay it? This is the gift we’re all offered, waiting to be unwrapped every single day.
Copyright Image and Reflection Michael J. Cunningham 2024