Thoughts on Love

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, 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..." 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

With Valentines Day quickly approaching I have been speaking and praying these words over Big Sister and Little Sister.  

I am struck with two thoughts:

1. God loves us A LOT

2. I do not show TRUE LOVE enough!

God is the perfect example of TRUE LOVE.  

Now re-read the verses, but this time replace "Love" with "God".  It reads like this:

God is patient, God is kind.  He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud.  He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs.  God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  God never fails.

Can you say WOH-AH!  Our pastor showed this to our church last year.  It struck me then, but over the past few days it has hit me hard.  Like a smack on the back of my head, hard.  God is all of those things.  ALL OF THE TIME! 

I fail at True Love way too much!  If I am honest, I, 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love, strangers more than my family and close friends.  I am so guilty and ashamed of that truth.  How can I be teaching my children TRUE LOVE by only my words.  They need to see TRUE LOVE in  my actions too! What if my neighbors saw that TRUE LOVE?  What if Big Sister's friends at school saw that TRUE LOVE? gasp!  I would be a better witness.  I could open conversation doors.  I could get off my scared booty and share the TRUE LOVE of Christ with words and actions.

OR What if I just showed my hubby more TRUE LOVE.  What if I wasn't quick to anger, or didn't tally up wrongs.  What if I showed my children more patience, more protection from evil, more hope? What if...

So, I am officially making it public - I am going to show, think, speak and be TRUE LOVE, to my HUSBAND, to my CHILDREN, to my PARENTS, to my SISTER, to my FAMILY, to my FRIENDS, to my NEIGHBORS, to STRANGERS.

Over the years I have learned how best to accomplish a goal.  I must start small.  Let it become habit, then grow the habit to other areas of my life. 

I will continue to teach and pray these verses over my children, but they will also learn from my actions.  They will see me treat their father with more TRUE LOVE they will see me be more patient with their sinful nature. I have no doubt our marriage/family needs me to show more TRUE LOVE and less EMILY LOVE - AMEN!!!  Hubby never reads this blog, so I will be interested to see if he starts to see a difference.  I hope so.

Is there an area in your life that you can show more TRUE LOVE?  With your husband? With your children? Maybe you are the opposite of me and you need to show TRUE LOVE to a stranger.  I encourage you to start small and let the goal become habit!