Belonging without being possessed and having without owning.
Love cannot be stolen or coerced, under these circumstances it instantly ceases. Love is best defined in 1 Corinthians 13.
Not because another has to or needs to love you but because another desires and chooses to. Love is the only choice each of us really has a great deal of control over. We did not choose when in time we were brought into the world or who our father and mother are. We did not choose where on the planet we were born and we did not choose our physical appearance. We cannot change the majority of the things in our lives but when it comes to the most important choices God has given us hazardous liberty to do just as we please. Not because we will always do the right thing but because grace and joy and forgiveness and contentment and peace and generosity and kindness and most of all Love do not exist without liberty.
I have so many folks in my daily life that I dearly love. I spend plenty of time making the choice to love them day to day. I spend even more time resisting the lie that they can belong to me and that I can somehow have more of their time and more of their presence in my life. They are from God and belong to him.
Over the years I have struggled with God about true friendship and the meaning of love. He has taught me to be patient through delay and disappointment. His word and His will are clear in matters of relationship and behavior toward neighbors. He has taught me to be secretive and hold my passion deep. God has guarded me like the perfect father that he is. God has taught me how I should love simply by loving me always and without condition. This is the lesson I am currently learning. I will try to sum it up with one phrase.
"If you truly love you should never have to let go, for if you truly love you never hold on."
There are few things that bring me as much delight as spontaneous, unsolicited affection that comes from the heart of someone who loves truly !
Love cannot be stolen or coerced, under these circumstances it instantly ceases. Love is best defined in 1 Corinthians 13.
Not because another has to or needs to love you but because another desires and chooses to. Love is the only choice each of us really has a great deal of control over. We did not choose when in time we were brought into the world or who our father and mother are. We did not choose where on the planet we were born and we did not choose our physical appearance. We cannot change the majority of the things in our lives but when it comes to the most important choices God has given us hazardous liberty to do just as we please. Not because we will always do the right thing but because grace and joy and forgiveness and contentment and peace and generosity and kindness and most of all Love do not exist without liberty.
I have so many folks in my daily life that I dearly love. I spend plenty of time making the choice to love them day to day. I spend even more time resisting the lie that they can belong to me and that I can somehow have more of their time and more of their presence in my life. They are from God and belong to him.
Over the years I have struggled with God about true friendship and the meaning of love. He has taught me to be patient through delay and disappointment. His word and His will are clear in matters of relationship and behavior toward neighbors. He has taught me to be secretive and hold my passion deep. God has guarded me like the perfect father that he is. God has taught me how I should love simply by loving me always and without condition. This is the lesson I am currently learning. I will try to sum it up with one phrase.
"If you truly love you should never have to let go, for if you truly love you never hold on."
There are few things that bring me as much delight as spontaneous, unsolicited affection that comes from the heart of someone who loves truly !
Hey there! Cool blog you got; a Christian and a photographer.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to get into digital photography but still having trouble with the basics.
Keep up the blogging.
Billy - such a great blog! It's hard to learn that and to maintain it, but such a delight when we do!
ReplyDeleteIt is a real encouragement to press on with thoughtful comments keeping you going! Thanks for your comments and congratulations on your home purchase. I understand that you are in the same general area as our family’s home.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!