Precious Words

Precious words, I love you.

I’ve been thinking about love a lot lately. Started with a friend asking me if I’d ever read “The Cross and the Switchblade.” Yes, multiple times, first time in 4th grade. I love where the gang member tells the preacher he could cut him in 1000 pieces and the preacher says yes, and every piece would say I love you. Then we had a sermon the very next morning about love. This is not the passage Mike used, (he also showed clips from the Seinfeld episode of the “Soup Nazi” about obeying rules, quite fun) he used one from the gospels where the religious leaders were trying to trip Jesus up by asking what was the most important commandment. It’s summed up really well here though, in Romans 13:8-10 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery", "Do not murder", "Do not steal", "Do not covet", and whatever other commandment there might be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Precious words, I love you.

I love more out of my broken heart then I loved before. It’s taken a little time to realize it. When something is broken it can’t hold much. It spills, it oozes, a broken vessel can never hold when it is overfilled. And that is what God is doing for me. Overfilling me with love, there is so much more to give, and since God is continually pouring his love into me and I can’t hold it, it’s gotta go somewhere.
I didn’t look at Webster’s to see the definition of love, because when it comes to love, I want nothing to do with the world’s definition. I’ve seen it bastardized by people to suit their wants and desires and I have even had the world use their definition against me. It’s also used for a myriad of things that really don’t deserve our love. I love diet coke. I love to run. I love my kids. I love my husband. I don’t think these belong in the same category. Gonna have to figure that out.

Precious words, I love you.

Now, I only care about God’s definition of love. I think it’s defined very well in the passage below:

I Cor. 13:4-8 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.

I have taken this passage and begun to look at the people in my life through this lens, one at a time. Some I’ve done well. Others I have failed. There is another thing where love is concerned that I have been trying for the last four months. God really challenged me to love others the way they need to be loved. Free. No expectations. Arms wide open.

The way they need to be loved, not the way I want to love them. Freely.

I have to try and see what they need, not just what I want to give. Because I would like to now, (more than ever) protect my heart. But now, (more than ever), I can’t afford to. I’ll use Steve and Whitney for examples, but I look at this for everyone in my life, my kids, my family, my friends, my enemies (you know I got them) and try to work through this passage.

I love Whitney. From the moment the stick turned purple. Because I love her I am patient (even when I’m exhausted, and she waited to start her chores till I got home and then asked if I could drop her at Denae’s when I go to the Y. Even when I have to wake her up for school four times before she gets out of bed and then wait for her to dry the 12 pounds of naturally curly hair Steve and I blessed her with genetically which makes me late to work and then she calls because she forgot her volleyball bag for practice and I spend my lunch hour driving to the school…). I am kind (even when she is planking on my refrigerator at 3:30 a.m.). I am not envious of her (ever. I’m thrilled that she is confident and beautiful and happy and popular). I am not proud…??? (Okay, I bust my buttons over this child). I am not rude (I try really hard, anyway, but she is so mouthy sometimes I mouth back). I am not easily angered. (I can’t remember being really angry at Whitney). I keep no record of wrongs. (She’s perfect, lol, except for the mouthy part).

I love Steve with everything I have, everything I am. Because I love him I am patient (even when I’m exhausted and he’s had three surgeries in two weeks and is on two different prescription pain killers and can’t walk or drive). I am kind (even when I feel hateful and he doesn’t deserve kindness). I am not envious of him (even though he is strong and talented and beautiful). I am not proud, (I do not think I am better than him. There but for the grace of God go I). I am not rude (I try really hard, anyway). I am not easily angered???? (Can I get a pass on this one just this once)? I keep no record of wrongs. (That’s right. Hit the delete button. Dump the memory, as often as necessary).

I don’t delight in evil. (At all, ever. I hate evil). I rejoice in the truth. (So glad God has given me discernment to know it when I hear it). And these last ones? Yeah, I got these. Always protects (don’t mess with me and mine, I’ll kick your *%@#), always trusts (even when it’s not deserved or earned and it’s really, REALLY STINKIN HARD), always hopes (I got high hopes, lots of hope, pretty much all I got is hope), always perseveres (yep, I’m tough, I don’t give up, I fight and fight hard Col. 1:11 God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.), love never fails. And that is why I can do this. Christ’s love never fails me.

Precious words, I love you.