love never fails

when i was a young teenager, i gave a valentine's day gift to my high school sweetheart that means so much more to me now, than it ever did to him... it was a small glass stand with a red rose on one side, and a scripture on the other... it was titled "LOVE" and it said:

love is patient and kind;

love is not jealous or conceited;

love is not proud or selfish;

love is not ill-mannered;

love is not irritable;

love does not hold a grudge;

love is not happy with evil;

love is happy with the truth;

love never gives up;

its faith, hope and patience

never fail.

i loved everything this "poem" said about love... i did not know at the time, the origin of these words...

even though it may have been puppy love, to my young heart, it was real... at the end of the relationship, he gave me back this gift saying, "i think you need this more than i do"... although it seemed offensive, i accepted it, and to this day, it sits on a shelf in my bedroom...

this scripture, 1 Cor. 13, became my favorite scripture... it speaks of the type of love that all Christians should feel for each other... a selfless, unconditional, brotherly love... it's written in black and white... in the Bible! so... why do so many people have trouble with this?

it is easy to love your neighbor that is your friend... but not as easy to love the neighbor that is an enemy... and how can one love the child of a neighbor as their own? yet, that is what we are supposed to do... we are all God's children... and we should love each other, as He loves us all...

i wish there was more of this selfless love in the world... i wish people would love fearlessly... if love never fails, then... what is there to fear?

sometimes love hurts... yes... love suffers long... that's what love is... but it is still so beautiful... it's patience makes it unlike anything else...

i want to see less superficial love, and more of that deep, true, selfless love everywhere... so i have made a pledge... everyday, i will express selfless love... somehow, someway... to anyone and everyone... whether it may be to a sad stranger with a heartfelt smile, or to a stressed coworker with a soothing pat on the back, to a lonely widow with some company, to a insecure adolescent with encouraging words, even to the enraged driver on the road with a friendly wave hello... everyday... someone will feel that love...

spread the love ♥