@RhondaRhea

People get pretty caught up in the thread count of their sheets these days. I still say the crumb count is a lot bigger deal.

Not that I’m one to snack in bed much, mind you. Mostly because I’m not a big fan of sheets that double as an exfoliator.

But just so you know I’m not going to be legalistic on the topic, everything changes in the family room. My sofa? Let the exfoliation begin. I don’t even know what kind of crumbs are stuffed between the couch cushions. I’m pretty sure, though, if we turned the sofa upside down and gave it a good shake, we could put together a casserole of some kind. A “crumb cake,” perhaps? One more pin for the Pinterest board. DIY that, people.

When it comes to what really “counts,” there’s no do-it-yourself-ing love. It takes the love of Christ to hold a body of believers together. For that matter, it takes the love of Christ to hold a person together.

Paul said in Colossians 3:14, “Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity,” (HCSB). Funny how often we see that connecting thread when we look at love and forgiveness in scripture. The verse right before says, “accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.”

Then in 1 Peter 4:8, Peter said, “Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins,” (HCSB). It takes a supernatural, Holy-Spirit-endued love to unite hearts and to inspire selfless forgiveness. Not a wimpy, just-on-the-surface love, but one that’s deep. One that’s “intense,” according to this verse. An intense love is God-originated, and it will bring us together and will hold us together. It’s a complete love that gives all, never just the leftover crumbs.

As we thread our way through that truth, we see that Paul speaks of that unifying love in Ephesians 4:2-3 when he talks about “accepting one another in love” and follows that phrase with “diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us,” (HCSB).

The source of forgiveness? Love. The result of love? Forgiveness. And tied together they create a bond that makes life so perfectly sweet. It happens as we pattern our love after Christ’s love. He loves completely. He loves sacrificially. And are you ready for this? As we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in how we love and forgive, we’re simultaneously—oh glorious thought—leaving a trail of bread crumbs, as it were, for others to follow as well.

Better than counting threads. Bigger than counting crumbs.

Because, incidentally, in regard to the crumb count, I found my sofa rather impressively crumb-covered the other day. I wasn’t sure if I should vacuum it…or compost it. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. Or maybe we should label me non “compost” mentis.

Rhonda Rhea is a TV personality for Christian Television Network and a humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway and many more. She is the author of 12 books, including Fix-Her-Upper, co-authored with Beth Duewel, and a hilarious novel, Turtles in the Road, co-authored with her daughter, Kaley Rhea. Rhonda and Kaley are also excited to be teaming up with Bridges TV host, Monica Schmelter, for a new book and TV series titled, Messy to Meaningful—Lessons from the Junk Drawer. Rhonda enjoys speaking at conferences and events from coast to coast and serves as a consultant on the publishing team of Bold Vision Books.

She lives near St. Louis with her pastor/hubs and has five grown children.