Love

So as Christmas is approaching, I felt that a little spiel on love would be appropriate. hahaha. When you like someone, you have one of those warm fuzzy feelings. Crazy wonderful feelings that makes you smile in the middle of the most boring class or burst out laughing at the most inappropriate times as you think back on something that happened four days ago. You think about someone far too much and hope that they don't notice, or secretly, that they do, and return those thoughts. It's absolutely wonderful, and yet entirely depressing too when you don't actually have anyone in love with you. hahaha. (please don't feel bad for me or try and comfort me, I promise I am okay with my singleness-I'm waiting on God and trusting in his timing).

But the above talks very specifically about a specific type of "love," which I would argue is more like than love. That love is the one shared between a couple who is attracted to one another, and yet we so often miss out on an even more inspiring type of love, one shared between friends, family, and our "neighbour."

There are so many people that we are quick to judge and cast the blame on. They are just too "weird" or "awkward" or "lame." Hm. I'd like to know whether you ever actually got to know that weird, awkward, or lame person, or if you're just saying that to get yourself out of a sticky situation of actually getting to know someone that other people might not like so much. Maybe, in their own original way, they are only trying to be understood.

If we took the time to understand them, we'd realize how amazing that person is. Their story, their life that made them who they are today, the person's heart. I guess the question that remains is whether we can do it.

Is it possible to love someone with that kind of passion? Maybe. People might try to love people because they think it's the right thing to do. Which generally sucks. Your making them into a charity case. But if people loved people because they genuinely wanted to love them, to get to know their story, to understand the person they are today, THEN we'd get somewhere. What would that look like?

1 Corinthians 13: 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.

If I knew someone that loved like that... wow. Maybe then I wouldn't have to convince my friends that life is worth living. They would find purpose simply in the community of loving and encouraging people who surround them.

Now then, I'm going to try and love like 1 Corinthians 13 says. And yes, I will fail. But I'm going to try hard. :)