Lessons a Broken Girl Taught Me About Love | Rue Arrow

Dear Reader,

I met Rue Arrow through the Young Writer’s Workshop online community. If you meet her, the first thing you’ll notice is her deep passion for sharing Christ’s love with others. I see this in her as I work with her on the Community Assistant team, and I’m sure that many others have experienced this as she serves as a missionary in West Africa with her family.

Rue is also a talented young writer and blogger. Her words often touch me on a deep level, especially in the case of this true story she once shared. The story is about a broken girl and a lesson in love. I was so happy when she gave me permission to share it with you today.

I hope Rue’s story touches your heart the same way it did for me. (Perhaps you’ll even want to read a few more of her stories after you read this one.) ❤️

Yours truly,
Eliana

Lessons a Broken Girl Taught Me About Love | A Guest Post by Rue Arrow

Before we became overseas missionaries we worked with inner-city and at-risk youth in a rough and somewhat dangerous area in America. During that time we were also a foster family for children placed in the social system.

Alicia was an eight-year-old girl that we fostered for two years. She was tall enough to pass for thirteen, had long, silky black hair, and big brown eyes. But the things I remember most about her are the innocent questions she used to ask me late at night.

“What is love, Rue?”

I was nine when she asked that. What do you tell a little girl whose father hadn’t ever loved, or even known, her and whose mother abandoned her? What do you tell that lonely, hurting child about love?

It’s been six years since she asked me that; I’ve been reminded of it as her birthday draws near and it makes me think of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

So really . . .

Love is when Alicia had an eager smile on her face every time she had a visitation day with her mom even though she knew the affection was one-sided.

Love is when my missionary teammate’s dad died and she wrapped me in a hug when I found out my friend was dying because she knew the pain.

Love is when, Abijah, my little brother, was in third grade and the bullies kept crushing his paper airplanes, so he sat down and made paper airplanes for them instead.

Love is when Kenna, my precious, adopted sis, bows her head every night and weeps for the father that abused her—begging God to love and forgive him. Desperately pleading for his salvation.

That’s love.

It’s facing the one person that doesn’t deserve your compassion or sympathy or affection yet still whispering, “I’ll fight for you one day more.”

Because that is what Jesus does for us.

About the author

Rue Arrow is a teenage girl, living as a missionary in West Africa, with a deep passion for Jesus. She loves music, laughter, sunflowers, rainy days, new experiences, and adventures. As a young writer, she desires to encourage and challenge the believers around her and point weary hearts to their loving Creator. When she’s not writing she is usually reading, playing an instrument, or goofing off with her siblings.

Find out more about her and her passions at ruearrow.com.