Who is Love?

Two of my friends from the Mom's Group went to grab some coffee this afternoon after attending a prayer service. I think it's safe to say that we've been a bag of emotions as of late and we are now so aware that we are not alone. Isn't that enough to be joyful? To know that in this hard life we are not alone. Of course, God is always with us, but what about our human friends? Are they walking through the same struggles that we find ourselves going through?

Someone said today that he learned that we are put here on this earth to learn to love. It sounds so simple, and yet for many it is hard. When you've been beaten down, ridiculed, criticized, looked over, dismissed, payed no attention to, frightened, saddened, hurt, violated, where is there room for love? How does one love despite all of this?

How did Jesus love despite all of this?

We're only human. Isn't that such a great scapegoat? We're only human. We have a limit. We can only do but so much. These statements are easy to run to. They make us feel justified for not going above and beyond. We set up these levees of excuses to catch the harshness that is life.

But eventually, life's residue builds up. It punches holes in our excuses. It creates cracks under all the pressure. These statements become weaker and weaker every time we use them. They are not solid, but made of nothing substantial. Just words we leave in the air. Life runs through them like a tsunami. We're hit, thrown off ground, flung around, and when we land, we land hard. And those excuses are nowhere to be found.

My mind is spinning right now. So many thoughts are going through my mind. I wish I can jot them down but they are truly spinning out of control. I feel sad, guilt, confused, weak, clueless, stupid but at the same time I feel loved, embraced, hopeful and in shock. I don't know if I've ever felt more human in my life, and yet, I am ready to walk forward. I'm ready to do more, be more, overcome much more. Is this what it feels like to be in love?

I just looked up the definition of the word "love" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary online. First thing that came up was an add for a hamburger that said "Holy Cow."

Well, that's one way to describe it.

Okay, so this is what I got after the ad:

Definition of LOVE

1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
b : an assurance of affection love>

2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration
b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address
4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind(2) : brotherly concern for others
b : a person's adoration of God
5 : a god or personification of love

6 : an amorous episode : love affair
7 : the sexual embrace : copulation
8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)

9 capitalized Christian Science : god
— at love
: holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis
— in love
: inspired by affection

I bet we can improve on this definition right? Definition 5 kind of comes close.

Love is God. God is Love.

The Beatles said "All you need is love."

All you need is God.

Here's what scripture says love is:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient,
love is kind and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own
is not provoked
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails...

Read this again, only replace "love" with Jesus and "it" with He.

(I read that somewhere and I fell in LOVE with it. :D)

Doesn't it fill your heart up? This gives me so much hope for a happier, human life. This is how He intended us too love and be loved.

I want to dance and sing. I've been heartbroken, trodden down, even spit on (literally), but this verse, changes all of that. It makes me not care about all the hurt. It makes me not think of all those who've hurt me. It even gives me a sense of promise. I can forgive and be forgiven because of love.

I can forgive and be forgiven because of love.

I can forgive and be forgiven because of love.

God bless!