Love is patient, love is kind.

Love is patient,  love is kind.
Patient is often translated more literally as long suffering.  To suffer for a long time.  Love will suffer a long time...

Love is kind.  Not a conditional kindness,  but kind out of love.

I sat out this morning with the flock, and Piper wanted to hang out with me while the others grazed.  Yesterday she affectionately pressed her little goat face to the fence while I rubbed her head.

I told her yesterday while I was petting her that we would not eat her because she was being so good.
I know that sounds TERRIBLE right?

I will post about the "Nazi" goat later(yes there is a story to all this) but we honestly knew we may have to sell her sooner than later due to her behavior being a danger to the other animals. And after all, she is a meat goat breed.

But it got me thinking this morning.  I went out of my way to show her patience and kindness despite her punk behavior,  and something seems to be changing. She can be saved.

Then I consider Boe who had a rough life full of bad stuff.  We were patient and kind.  He loved us and we loved him.  We put in the time,  effort,  and money.  Although much of his behavior became drastically wonderful there were still the one or two dangerous traits which we realized could never be loved out of him.  Despite it all, he could not be saved.

God got my attention this morning on this very point.  They won't all be saved. Even if we love them. Even if we teach them and encourage them.  I am talking about people now.  It doesn't mean we give up because,  like Piper we don't know when the seed will bear fruit.  Many will be saved! And while we are here we love,  we are patient,  we are kind.  We do all we can to save them. But like Boe,  it is not in our control. They will not all be saved.  It's not our fault.