Love Stories
They sat outside Starbucks, a balding man and graying woman. I happened to glance at them just as she leaned across the table to give him a bite of whatever she was enjoying.
“That’s seasoned love,” I thought.
So what is love? The term is used lightly in our culture.
“I love chocolate.”
“I love my new boots.”
“I love this sushi!”
But when we see the real thing, we recognize it as something precious, irreplaceable. The Apostle Paul wrote these well-known words that define the meaning of love.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
I Corinthians 13:4-9. ESV
Love is shown in the patience of a spouse or parent when the loved one makes a mistake.
It is shown in the caring, patient support of a spouse with a disability or with Alzheimer’s. Challenges can be many, and the care is sometimes very difficult, but the love resets forgiveness when needed and continues to support, encourage, uplift, and desire the best for the other.
Love is expressed by the spouse who does everything for his or her partner, from feeding, to dressing, to bathing, to brushing teeth, to lying close in bed with the assurance of presence.
Love is when one partner has a crazy, preventable accident and the first question from her spouse is “Oh honey, are you ok?”
Love is my husband starting my car on a cold morning so it will be warm when I get in.
Love is the backrub when one enters the room, “just because.”
Love is forgiveness.
Love may be speaking truth to one who is walking a destructive path … or taking advantage … or crossing righteous boundaries.
Love is giving up your rights because of a preference your partner has. It’s compromise over the small things and respect for the person to whom it’s more important on the big things.
It is enjoying being alone together or with a group of friends; talking to each other or sitting quietly, side by side.
One of my favorite definitions of love is from a young boy, who responded to the question about how you know someone loves you. He said “You know someone loves you when your name is safe in their mouth.” That’s a beautiful description. I have known that kind of love with both my late and current husbands. I knew they would not talk down about me, and that is very precious.
Love desires the best for the loved one. In His love, God desires to have a relationship with us. His love is far above and beyond ours.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV
What, or who, are some of the examples of love you have seen?
And, if you don’t know God’s personal love for you, you can. I’d love to communicate with you if you’re interested.
What a beautiful blog. Thanks for reminding me of the power of love.
Thank you, Karen. I see your love expressed to your children and friends, including us. Thank you for blessing us!
Thank you, Carol. My late husband and I were a pair whose marriage was as perfect as is possible on this earth. He’s with Jesus now, and I am an incomplete human who will never be the same as before. However, I often remind myself of my distinct blessing of having been married for 63 years to such a remarkable man.
Shirley, what a testament to your marriage, under God’s leadership and your Jerry’s. I agree that we are never the same after losing our beloved; but the blessing is in sharing that love for whatever time God gives to us. You are a remarkable and wonderful woman, and an example to me. One day you will again be whole in the amazing presence of our God, and seeing your dear husband again.