“What’s new?”

A simple question asked in the produce aisle…

I struggle to find an answer.

“What’s new?” he asks again.

We haven’t seen each other for a long time.

Now here we are in the grocery store…

Separated by our shopping carts…

And all that has happened  since last we met.

I mumble some sort of answer…

About work…and my accomplishments.

About my wife’s work… and her accomplishments…

About my daughter… and her accomplishments…

He gives the same sort of answer.

We shake hands…

“Good to see you,” we each say… and walk away.

Thinking back…

 I can’t even remember what I said.

But it might have gone something like this…

“Our daughter skipped fourth grade, high school, college and medical school… and is about to complete her fellowship in Neurosurgery. Her term ends in time for her to come home for her ninth birthday.”

“My wife has been at her new job at a Fortune 500 company for three months, and there’s already serious talk about making her CEO.”

Why do we say those things?

Because we care what the world thinks about us?

Because we’re listening to the world instead of God?

Some days, when I listen to God…

I don’t care about many things anymore …

On those days, my list is down to two items…

1-People…People to love and people who love me…

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:7-8

2-God…God who lets me love Him…and Who loves us all…

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:30

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Maybe I can condense that two-item list even further.

Maybe I can reduce it to just one word…

Love.

Love is all that matters…

…because God is love. 1 John 4:8