At the beginning of my freshman year, in one of my first classes, a girl in the row next to me dropped her pencil. I picked it up and gave it to her. That's when I met Eden. We were fast friends. But over the first couple of years of high school, I didn't value her as much as she valued me. There would be times when she would reach out and, whether it was because of my peers or my priorities, I would be distant. There were times I was great but also some times, again and again, I made the same mistake. She wasn't constantly seeking a romantic relationship or anything; she just really valued me and wanted to help me out any time she could. She did countless gestures that helped me out or made me happy. But at times, far too consistently, I under-appreciated her efforts and even hurt her. She never let that get her down, and I still remember the day when I stepped back and realized all of the times she put in the effort and I let her down. After that, I began appreciating her more and more, and now we have been dating for over 10 months. At any point, it would have been considered normal for her to give up on me, but she didn't. That is selfless love.

So many times in our lives we under-appreciate God’s love for us. We feel God is intruding on our plans and our lives. Once we set aside our ungratefulness and pride we can truly accept God's selfless love for us.

—Aidan Scalf