The fall mornings are always chilly — even though the sun comes out a couple of hours later to warm everything. Before we leave the house, I pull a warm vest around David and strap him snuggly into his car seat. As we arrive at school, I slide open the van door, give him a kiss on the cheek, and lift him from the car.

David has special needs. He was born with a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange. Because of his syndrome, he doesn’t use words to communicate, he has only two fingers on his left hand and he depends on us to feed and diaper him. David is very relational and loves to cuddle and hug — but he is cautious with new people. At times he voids eye contact and prefers to play alone.

At the beginning of the school year, he took hesitant steps toward the classroom, pulling on my hand and trying to slow my pace. It was a new school with new faces to get to know. Every morning, his teacher would bend down and with a big smile on her face, and welcome David to school. For weeks it went like this, hesitant steps culminating in a warm welcome and a fairly disinterested David.

But she persisted. She showed love and kindness to David. She invested in him.

Yesterday morning, we pulled up at the school, and I slid David’s van door open. I unstrapped his car seat, and his face lit up with a huge smile as I lifted him from the car and together, with a spring in his step, we walked toward the classroom. When I opened the door, he stepped inside, his eyes bright and his heart ready for the day. As his teacher approached him and bent down, he threw his arms around her neck and gave her a big hug.

My heart melted as I reflected on how far we’ve come. David loves school and loves his teacher. He feels safe and cared for there. He plays and participates. He matters. His teacher has invested in him, and it’s paying off tenfold.

Love is free but also costly. Isn’t that a beautiful paradox? If I give my whole heart to meaningful relationships, instead of empty, I end up full.

Love requires time, energy, and honesty. It means giving when the other person doesn’t give back. Love pours out all it has to show others they matter.

Jesus demonstrates this kind of love. He invested his life in ours. He gives me love even though I am undeserving. He loves when I look away and am distracted by other things. He continues to love me in my brokenness. He loves me despite myself.

Because of this, I can love others. I want to spend my time showing others they matter and are precious. I want to listen as a dear friend shares her struggle with a teenage daughter diagnosed with depression. I want to make dinner for longtime friends who have just said goodbye to a beloved mother. I want to make eye contact with the homeless woman and give her a smile that dignifies her existence.

I believe love is free but costly. I also believe love is the best investment.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” {1 Corinthians 13:6-7}

In the comments, share a time someone invested in you and showed you love.

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