The Tall Order of Love | February 2026

February 17, 2026

Hello Friends,

Many of you know that each year, I pray for a "word of the year"—a single point of focus to grow from. This year, God made it abundantly clear that my word is LOVE.

Aww, don’t we all get those good feelings when we hear the word "love"? I certainly do! But what I’ve realized is that I’m being challenged this year to love everyone. It doesn’t seem too difficult on the surface, does it? Until I really, truly, wholeheartedly leaned into what God was impressing upon me.

I am called to love the people who are especially hard to love. As I reflected on this, I found myself thinking of the people I’ve allowed to hurt or offend me. Yes—God is calling me to love them. Especially them.

The ones who dismiss or disregard me. The ones who reject me or keep me at a distance. The ones who don’t always value the connection we share. The ones who have a different viewpoint than me. The ones who respond to kindness with indifference or harsh words. The ones who cut me off on the freeway with less than kind words (or gestures). The ones who seem to find time for everyone else but forget to make space for me. The ones who have made me feel invisible. The ones who take advantage of my kindness.

Yes, even—and especially—them.

WOW! That is a tall order. I’ve found myself trying to reason with God: Am I humble enough? Do I really have the capacity to love that deeply, that widely, and that unconditionally?

Then, ever so sweetly, He reminded me that I, too, have been "one of those people" to others. Yet God, in His infinite mercy and grace, still loves me.

The truth is, we never truly know what is going on in the shadows of someone else’s life. Life is hard. Every person who crosses our path carries a different history, a different set of burdens, and a different viewpoint. But the one thing that binds us all is an intrinsic desire to be seen, to be heard, and to be loved.

What if we simply took the time to slow down? What if we practiced listening not to "fix" or "negotiate," but to truly understand? We don’t have to agree. We just have to allow space for others to be seen and loved regardless of the gap between us.

I haven’t figured it all out yet. I know this is a season where God is refining my character and stretching my heart. So, if I have ever been "one of those people" to you, I ask for your forgiveness. May this be the year we all begin to love a little more like He does.

Sending you all my love,

Rica

"To love without condition, to talk without intention, to give without reason, to care without expectation; that's the spirit of true love." — Unknown