Last night I participated in a funeral. It was a mixture of beauty and sadness. Community, friends, and family gave such love in such a difficult time.

When I got home I reflected on one thought from the service with my wife: that love is never wasted.

Sometimes when you love, give, and care and the result isn’t what you hoped for we feel like it was in vain. When we give love and someone passes, or they don’t change, or toss it aside we wonder if it had any meaning…But I believe that love that is given always has meaning.

Love that is given can’t be wasted.

As Paul says love is what will truly last, everything else will fade away. 1 John reminds us that love is all that matters. And Jesus most of all demonstrates that love is meant to be given even if the results or reception aren’t what we would have wanted; because that is what he has done with us. He gives love to each of us because we matter to him regardless of how it is used or its outcome.

But when you give love in this way, you run the risk of experiencing pain and hurt. That’s what happened last night. People loved deeply and so they felt the hurt deeply. But even when you feel hurt, or the outcome isn’t what we would hope: love still remains. Love still matters. Love still lasts. Despite the up and downs of our lives, love can steady us.

So today go out and love. Give love. Be love. Show love.

And invest in something that lasts…