I wrote ‘Conclusion’, then immediately added the rest, thinking, how on earth can you ever stop talking about love? My feeble efforts to describe this deep conundrum we call love have only raised more questions and already broadened my own perspectives on the subject. It has also challenged me to examine just how I express love in my own life to my wife, my children, grandchildren, friends, enemies, acquaintances and strangers.
I was challenged this week by a negative review of our Fort Worth Coffee House. The reviewer took issue with our stance on not allowing open carrying of firearms and gave us one star for this rather than a fair assessment of our worth as a Coffee House. I wanted to lash out and retaliate for the injustice I felt, but after penning a carefully calculated rebuke, the words of Jesus ‘Love your enemies’ just wouldn’t go away and I deleted the whole calculated put down. I realized that love sometimes means not getting your own back. Hurting someone with words was really just a way to gain some selfish satisfaction for myself.
So I resolved to put a semi-colon in this conversation after writing some of the things I have dwelt on in the last few weeks. They don’t apply to every relationship, but cover many aspects of this fascinating thing we call love. So…
Love is….
Caring more for another than for myself
Resisting the temptation to control or possess
Choosing to stay with the one we love even when it no longer suits us to do so…or
Letting another go when we want to keep them
Speaking truth without an ounce of manipulation
Being willing to die to self interest and preferring the interest of another
Being entirely honest in communication especially when it disadvantages ourselves
Being willing to fully embrace the gifts of those given through love
Approaching love making with a desire to give and not take
Knowing when to speak up and when to back off
Not gaining satisfaction through retaliation
Never giving up on the other person even if they give up on us
Choosing not to take out our anger, frustration, disappointment on another
Not dwelling on the failings of others and never seeking to remind of past mistakes
Ever seeking ways to enhance the one loved, especially in the eyes of others
Looking for the best, believing the best and hoping the best
Not limited by culture, ethnic background, race or gender
Expressed in thoughts as well as deeds, gifts and honor
Being Kind….
Thanks for sharing in this conversation, I’ll be back next Sunday with something new, but in the meantime, love someone, love anyone, love everyone. Who knows what might come of it. In the immortal words of Huey Lewis and the News,
The power of love is a curious thing
make one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
more than a feeling that’s the power of love
Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream
Stronger and harder than a bad girl’s dream
make a bad one good make a wrong one right
power of love that keeps you home at night
You don’t need money, don’t take fame
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train
It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes
but it might just save your life
That’s the power of love