It's been almost four weeks since graduating First Year and I've had a sea of time to process about the past nine months. During this time, Holy Spirit has been kindly reminding me of all the breakthrough moments, the big and small moments, the growing moments, and most recently, the moments where I practiced love.
"Look how far you've come," says Papa. "You have learned to love."
I now understand the true benefits of bold, unapologetic displays of love. I've been reminded of all the times I said, wrote, and showed "I love you" to people in Redding. I don't regret that I loved them so extravagantly: the long hugs, the 'unnecessary' hugs, the sweet kisses, the letters, the acts of service, the generosity, the coffees, the meals, the quality time I gave, the random I love you's' - everything I chose to do to extravagantly love was well worth it.
I did those things not just because they deserved it, but because I wanted them to be so sure that I loved them. The only regret I have is not saying it enough to a couple people who meant a lot to me. But to those I loved radically, I am satisfied, because I know I took hold every moment I had with them an live it to the fullest. That's just what happens when you love extravagantly - you have no regrets. There's no:
"I should have said 'I love you' more often'; no "I should have hugged them more".
No. There's none of that because, now, you have beautiful memories of extravagantly-expressed love together that you will always remember.
So, please, don't be afraid to love extravagantly. Be unafraid to love people radically. Don't apologise for how well you loved. If they mean as much to you as you mean to them, only gratitude and more love will be their response.
love,
CITRA
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