Meet Regina, an 8 year old first grader at Makarios.  Like many of our kids, she struggles in the classroom, so she’s been seeing me in the library for daily tutoring sessions. I have a confession to make about Regina:  I love her, but I she is sometimes hard to love.

On a good day, Regina is entertaining,  loving, and has an ‘off-the-wall’ sense of humor’.  On a bad day, Regina is disobedient, stubborn, and a little bit ‘crazy-town’. Have I mentioned she is sweatier and snottier than any other child in our school.  Oh yes. When she runs up with a huge snot bubble coming out of her nose, I struggle to show her the unconditional love that every child deserves.

Thanks to a community effort at Makarios, Regina is catching up with the rest her class.  During her end-of-year assessments, she tested as one of the top readers in her class!  I can’t take any credit, because I know God is at work during our time together. Not just in Regina, but also in me.

Love for the unlovable does not come naturally or easily (for me anyway).  But I serve a God loves me when I am at my worst.  And He loves me unconditionally.  I struggle to love like He loves, and I succeed only when I rely on His strength.  He pushes me out of my comfort zone, and into a place where I’m relying on Him.  The process is hard, but the results are beautiful.  Just like Regina.