Oh how He loves you and me!

I want to talk about love.
Love is good!
In fact, love is GREAT!!!
I love love!
But I have come to the conclusion that
most people don't understand the difference
between love and affection.
And there is a difference!
A HUGE difference!

You see, affection is that warm squishy feeling.
The feeling that makes you weep when you hold your newborn.
That feeling that makes you swell with pride
when they walk across the stage.
That feeling that gives you butterflies
when "he" walks into the room.
That feeling that overwhelms you
when "she" walks down the aisle toward you!
Affection is what I get out of love.
It feels good!
It warms me to my core!
It's easy!

As long as things are going well.

Affection is the emotion of love.
And emotions are fickle!
They can quickly turn from warm and squishy
to hurt or anger or hatred.

But love,
love is different.
Love isn't what you get
it's what you give!
And sometimes it's really, really hard!

Love is what you give to that sweet newborn

who has turned into a sassy teenager

and you don't "take her out of this world".

Love is what you give when "he" has said or done

something insensitive and hurtful

and you forgive ~

and diligently work to forget! ~

instead of making him pay.

Love is what you give when she comes home

with three new outfits ~ 

and shoes and purses to match~

and you tell her how beautiful she looks in them

rather than saying that she spends too much.

Love is what you give to someone with whom you disagree,

and maybe don't even like very well.

Love is what you give when you stay

even though it would be easier to go.

Love is what you give to those 

who behave badly.

And it is what's given to you

when you are behaving badly!

Love is a gift you give ~

and receive ~

when what is felt

tells you to behave differently than you want to or should!

Love is that thing that God gave

in the gift of His Son,

that thing that made Jesus 

not call 10,000 angels to take Him off the cross.

As I have thought of Jesus during this Holy Week,

the adulation of the crowds,

the Last Passover Feast He would celebrate as a man,

the arrest, mockery of a trial,

the abandonment and betrayal from those who knew Him best,

the cross,

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

the tomb...

I am awed that He loved me so much!

 

I find myself thinking of Peter,

with whom I identify strongly,

and wonder, would I have said,

"I don't know Him!"

I think of my impassioned emotions

saying how I love Him,

how desperately I want to be His reflection

in all I say and do.

And I wonder.

 

I wonder if I love as He loved,

no matter what.

Enough to forgo my own wants and needs

for those who dislike me,

don't appreciate me,

turn on me.

I wonder.

 

May God's Spirit so fill me

that I would willingly climb on a cross

if He asked me to!

Not just for those who give me warm, fuzzy emotions,

but for those I struggle to love.

 

Teach me, Daddy God, to love well,

to love as You love!