The definition of Love

Often times I feel that the word “love” has become trivialized.  We hear it being used excessively to describe everything from a pair of shoes to cars, from food to music.  It is used carelessly, sarcastically, off-handedly, almost meaninglessly and unfeelingly.

Love.

A profoundly tender affection. A feeling of warm personal attachment. A passion or desire.  A term of endearment.  To have a strong liking for something.  A fondness.

 It is a word that describes one of the most basic and foundational needs a person possesses.  We as humans have this need to be cared for, accepted, wanted, and valued.

The problem is, however, this word love never really lives up to the concept one’s heart and soul yearn for.  In this world, ‘Love’ often changes based on situations, reactions, feelings, emotions, desires, senses, perceptions, impulses, and actions. 

The true definition of LOVE is one that is absolute, unchanging, unconditional, uncompromising, all-encompassing, fulfilling, faithful, self-sacrificing.  It encompasses patience, kindness, truth, loyalty, fidelity, joy, goodness, hope, perseverance, completeness.

Three words tell us what Love is.  They define Love beyond doubt, reasoning, or understanding.

God IS Love. (1 John 4:8)

IS.

The great I AM – the one who is unchanging-remains-endures-exists-endures –
IS Love. 

Love isn’t a feeling or emotion that comes and goes.  Love is a state of being—Love is the BEING – The I AM.

As I consider what Love is (Who Love is) it changes everything.  I am someone who knows Love.   I have Love… that is unconditional, accepts me with all my failings and flaws.  No matter what I could ever do I will always have Love.  The kind that provides joy in my deepest sorrow, hope in the most desperate of times, light in the darkest moments, patience and kindness in the most undeserving situations. 
And because I possess LOVE, I am enabled to love others (1 John 4:19 – We loved because He first loved us).  I am enabled to live life above circumstance. I am a person of great value.  I am never alone. 

My prayer for you… is that you can define Love and know its fullness.

Ephesians 3:18 – And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
1 John 3:15 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 4:10 – This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for us.
Romans 5:8 – God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1Corinthians 13:4-13 ^-  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.  For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Reclaimed

I have a good friend who had a birthday not long ago. 

The time I spent with her for her birthday has had my thoughts occupied.

For her birthday I decided to take her on a birthday date.  I didn’t take her to a nice place for a lunch or go for pampering and a pedicure …. I took her to a salvage center.  A HUGE big old building filled with old construction material – windows, doors, tile, knobs, hinges, lighting fixtures, sinks, tubs, screws, screens, brackets, … and wood – all kinds of wood from framing to baseboards; from furniture grade scrap to old lumber.

You see, my friend enjoys wood working as a hobby.  She takes old discarded wood and makes things that are useful… beautiful.  There’s been a few times I have found myself driving around with her and stopping to load old fence wood or recruited to unload pallets from the back of her SUV.

On this day, there it stood 8 feet tall among many other old boards. It was old, stained, marked. There were areas deeply darkened by time and weathering; many splatters and paint rings; scars from old nails or screws; yellow tread marks.

Most people would glance right over it. Dismiss it.  It no longer had purpose. It seemingly had little if any worth.
My friend and I lifted it out of the lumber rack.  She ran her hand over it – looked at it from all sides.  Smiling she looked at me and said “this is the one”.  A price was paid for what most would deem waste or a loss. And a treasure was brought home. In time with care, vision and work – there will once again be beauty and purpose…and value. 

Reclaimed. Recovered from discard and refuse. To be brought back to be useful, usable and preferred. To be restored.

As I’ve stood still with my thoughts about the birthday adventure, I see myself in that piece of wood. I carry scars from tragedy and hurts.  I feel weathered by time and life – I have so many stains and flaws – anxiety; fear; at times judgmental, impatient, unforgiving; failures; misunderstandings; shortcomings.

There are times of doubting; times of feeling dismissed – what’s my worth; what’s the purpose; am I valued?
Standing still, I’m pretty sure each of us can relate to that old board.

 

There is one who sees past my stains and scars.  One who has paid the price for my soul and being.  One to whom I am not discard or by whom I am not dismissed.  One to whom I am valued beyond measure, treasured and loved despite how I may appear.  

It’s humbling and amazing to be reclaimed by His love.

He takes me in whatever condition I am and uses who I am.

All those scars and stains; all that time has brought is purposed.

He looked at me and said “this is the one”.

My prayer now is for you to know your worth – God sees your beauty –– and He has a purpose for you.

YOU and I have been reclaimed.

COMFY

There are those times when I feel the need to be comfy. Sometimes that means putting on sweats and fuzzy socks. Sometimes it means being in my pj’s snuggled in bed with a good book. Sometimes it is curled up on the couch covered by my favorite throw blanket with a fire in the fireplace. And then there is that sense of comfy when I’m snuggled with one of my kids or my sweetheart watching a favorite movie.



We each have those places or things that give us that comfy feeling. Comfy means being at ease; snug; having a homey feeling. It’s restful. It’s safe and secure. Sheltered.


I think we also can experience ‘comfy’ when it comes to people. Comfy people are those with whom you feel at ease. There is a secure feeling of being able to just BE – be silent; be silly; be able to express YOU; have a cry; have a laugh; share uncensored thoughts. Time spent with a comfy person refuels and renews. You come away somehow ‘better’ after each time spent with a comfy person.


The comfy people I have in my life are blessings.
-the fellow mom with whom I laugh over our kid experiences and receive insight
-the prayer sister
-the compassion filled witness/friend that nurtures
-the new friend whose passing smiles and greetings brighten my day
-the gym friend whose positive outlook no matter what life brings amazes me
-the smiling encourager that fills me with laughter and lightens my spirit
-the faith buddy that shares daily positive scriptural messages
-those miles apart but available 24-7… whose voices immediately bring joy and calm
-a fellow blogger sharing grace
-that quirky, insightful, encouraging fb friend
-the 3 blessings doling hugs and maturing into priceless comfy companions
-the old ‘sole’ with whom I walk through life


As I continue to stand still with all things comfy, I become enlightened by and with the fact that I am truly blessed being able to know a particular comfy. I have a personal relationship with God. It occurs to me I have never thought of my relationship with my Lord as “comfy” but I guess it is. My soul is at rest with Him. He gives me security and shelter. I am able to ‘BE’ with Him. He knows my weaknesses, my sorrows, my joys, my hopes and my very thoughts. Yet, He loves me – unconditionally; sacrificially.


I think I’m going to stand still for a bit in this ‘comfy’.


Psalm 119:76
May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Have a Nice Day!?

In 1963 a freelance artist by the name of Harvey R. Ball created an icon for an insurance company morale campaign.  His failure to trademark the icon left it to public domain.  The icon became universal and there isn’t a soul that wouldn’t recognize it or know its implied meaning.  That yellow sphere with two black dots and a black half circle emoting happiness, warmth and friendliness.  Yep… it’s a smiley.

I’m of a generation that has always had the smiley.  I grew up with smiley on t-shirts, shoes, lunchboxes, hair bands, earrings and necklaces, and stickers.  Without speaking a word smiley proclaimed encouragement, don’t worry – be happy, have a happy day. 

I do have a soft spot for the sunny fellow.  But I must confess. I react to life with a wider range of emotion than he. And…I may not always be quite as friendly as he. In the face of idiocy, impertinence, or the like, a positive reaction from me may be somewhat tempered.  Human I guess.  Though I should strive to be a little more like smiley, I admit honestly that I grit my teeth and feel more like the red square cynic smiley from the ‘Have a Nice Day’ graphic on the Bon Jovi album.

1 Peter 4:8 reminds us “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”  This is an admonishment for me, particularly when I’m feeling less than loving. I am very thankful for the last part of that verse, “love covers over a multitude of sins” especially because I know I need the covering of love – a multitude of sin right here.  I need to look at others through the eyes of Our loving Father.  I am able to love because He first loved (1 John 4:19).  Instead of raising my eyebrows and calling someone an idiot (usually silently in my head ... most of the time), I should and will (hopefully) react with a quick prayer and a more sincere “Have a Nice Day.”

Father,
Thank you for loving me even when I'm unlovable.  Forgive me and enable me to show Your love to others when they are not so lovable.