love thy neighbor

wouldn't it be a beautiful world if everyone followed this seemingly simple commandment? love thy neighbor, well my next door neighbors are my in-laws and I certainly love them for raising the incredible man I call hubby and for being amazing grandparents to my 3 boys (seriously you guys, I know most people complain about their in-laws, but I pretty much hit the jackpot when it comes to mine) and growing up I had a pretty special lady as my neighbor who happens to be staying with me for the week, so I can easily say I have an abundance of love for her. but if we take a less literal approach to this verse, how often do we really love our "neighbor"? do we "love" the guy who steals our expecting mothers parking spot? or how about the woman with a 12 year old and an oversize handbag who snatches the last double-seater cart at target, are we feeling the love for her? i'd obviously be lying if I said yes, so on an honest note, NO! i'm not exactly bursting with love for the selfish people who aggravate my day. but having young, impressionable ears around has made me more aware of how I handle these types of ~~morons~~ err people and this verse always comes to mind. love them, they might have had a rough day; love them, they might be going through something; love them, they might truly be that ignorant and know no better. it can be a hard task to tackle, but I have to tell you, life is so much easier when you leave the hatin to the haters and spread a little love!! so the next time the teeny-boppers spill their Frappuccino and decide to steal yours to replace it, leaving you to wait 10 minutes for the barista who's so obviously ignoring you to have her make you another while your 3 kids are screaming because they're squeezed into a single cart and everyone else has a coffee (decaf, don't judge me) but them, just smile and send those loving vibes their way. they clearly need it!!