Love is…

…a whole lot more than just hugs and kisses!

Happy Valentine’s Day friends!  Or Happy Single Awareness Day, whichever one you prefer to say today.  Most will agree that Valentine’s day is an over commercialized holiday, and blown way out of proportion because you should demonstrate love to one another each and every day.  And for those who despise the day because they are alone, I completely understand (I used to be right where you are)!

I highly doubt that Valentine’s day will ever be ignored, so I decided to post a Valentine’s theme blog.  Don’t worry, it extends beyond showing love to just your sweetheart.

I’m not sure where I heard this story, but I believe I read it on Facebook or another similar social media platform.  It is important to understand the verses that accompany this blog, and I bet you already guessed those verses…

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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 preserves. Love never fails. But when there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ”

– 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

When I first heard these verses, it was in a Nicholas Sparks movie: A Walk to Remember.  If you hadn’t seen it, I hope you go check it out but please grab a box of tissues as well.  The verses are read in the film and my heart melted as a young girl.  It spurred me to read the book and I dog-eared the page where the verses were written.  I fell in love with the verses because it gave me hope in the romance department.  It wasn’t until years later that I developed a deeper understanding of the verses and got past looking for the perfect guy.

***

Here is the short tale from social media (that I am paraphrasing in my own words) I would like to share with you all:

A little girl came home from grade school one day and was going on about this cute boy at school whom she had developed a crush for.  As all good moms do, hers listened carefully and waited for her little girl to finish her gushing.  The mom gave her daughter one piece of advice and it was to replace the word love in the verses 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 with her crush’s name.  So, the little girl started reading the verses with the boy’s name and once she finished, she crinkled her little nose.  She told her mom the following:

“Well, he isn’t very kind.  He pushed a kid down on the playground today.  Last week he lied to our teacher.  I guess he isn’t worth my time then!”

Mom just smiled at her little girl because she reared her right.

***

A cute story and a good test for potential new people in our lives!  I will say there is one flaw in this little test for good boyfriend or girlfriend material.  The problem is that when you know you have found the person you will marry, they will not always be perfect.  Love never fails, but your significant other will let you down and disappoint you from time to time.  They are human and it will happen.  The trick is that you both choose to work on the problems and choose to love one another each day.  If you keep your eyes on God first, and your honey second, then your relationship will flourish.

Sweethearts, family members, and friends will all disappoint us occasionally.  They may love us with their whole hearts, but they cannot love us perfectly because they are not perfect themselves.  Love is perfect and pure.  It cannot be penetrated or broken, but it may feels like it sometime.  Those feelings are called loneliness, hurt, betrayal, etc.  Those are not love.

For my Christian service sorority, I had the girls replace love in the verses from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as well.  I had them replace the word with the one person that allows the replacement to stay true and hold up.  Can you guess it?

Jesus.

Not your mom.  Not your dad.  Not your boyfriend.  Not your girlfriend.  Not your brother.  Not your sister.  Not your grandparents.

Jesus.

He is the only one that is pure and perfect.  Jesus is love.

I still encourage you to use the verses to “rate” your new boo thing to see if they might be the right one, but I also encourage you and your significant other to strive to love like Jesus does.

Love and respect tend to go together.  Love and respect are the greatest gifts you could receive from someone, and the greatest gifts you can give to another.  Since God first loved us, He sent His son to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  All because of love, my friends.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

-1 Corinthians 13:13

For this Valentine’s day, I hope you remember the Heavenly Father who loves you greater than anyone else ever could.

Would it be too unbelievable to say that I love you?  Because I do!  God calls us to love one another and pray for everyone.  I pray for each person that reads these posts and I appreciate you taking the time to read it.  Happy Valentine’s Day, XOXO.