Loving the Lord and being Loved by Him

In today's Gospel, John 21: 15-19, Jesus asks Peter three times:  "'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"  Simon Peter answered him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'  Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He then said to Simon peter a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' He said to him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord you know everything;  you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep'...."

Let us imagine this conversation between Jesus and ourselves:

      "Dorothy Ann (insert your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
      "Feed my lambs."

      "Dorothy Ann (insert your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!"
      "Tend my sheep."

      "Dorothy Ann (insert  your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord you know everything. You KNOW that I love you."
      "Feed my sheep."

I might then ask the Lord: "Lord, why are you asking me this three times?" And his response might be: "Because, first of all,  I notice that you have an tendency to abandon my ways when the going gets rough just as Peter had done in his denials.  Second of all, I notice that you have a tendency to avoid sacrifices and take the easy way out, frustrating yourself in the long run and causing me the pain of seeing you in distress, even though I know that it is the distress that will catapult you into making more life-giving choices.  And third of all, I notice that you have a tendency to insist on being at my side on Calvary when I know that your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak, as was Peter's.  So, you see, I know that you love me but I also know that you need to be challenged in the same way that I challenged Peter. As with Peter, I am teaching you to depend upon me for the graces you need. Calling upon me repeatedly, you will, with Me at your side, feed and tend to my lambs and sheep.