Bob Marley once said this about true love.... He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and
the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least
once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making
mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote
poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part
of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him and don’t
expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy,
yell when he makes you mad and miss him when he is not there. Love hard when
there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist but there is always
one guys that is perfect for you.
It never ceases
to amaze me, the extent human beings are willing to go for the sake of love.
Growing up I always had this fantasy of true love... (Blame it on Hollywood and
all those times I spent in the library reading romantic novels, of heroes and
damsels in distress). It is no wonder then that I am now and perhaps forever
will be a romantic at heart. Last week I finally got around to watching the
movie…Baggage Claim…and it so far stands out as my favorite romantic clip of
2014. I mean sometimes love exists under your very own nose but you are just too
busy wishfully gazing at the horizon, searching for a perfect nonexistent love.
Look around you. Love is everywhere. It’s in the air we breathe, the stars
shining brightly at night and in the breathtaking view of an ocean at sunrise.
Valentine’s Day
is here once again. A day that has sadly been reduced to chocolate companies
making a huge profit, flower vendors making the sale of the year and other
commercial enterprises seizing the moment to make up for the dry, broke January
season. I think the true magic of this day is lost in all these activities all
aimed at expressing true love to loved ones.
The historical
origin of Valentine’s Day is surrounded by mystery, but one legend behind this
celebrated holiday is centered on Valentinus, a Christian Saint, who was
imprisoned for not giving up his Christian faith. Historians believe that Saint
Valentine was a temple priest under Emperor Claudius II. The Emperor insisted
that unmarried men were better soldiers that those who were married, and he
forbade marriage for younger men. Valentine realized the unfairness of this statute,
defied Claudius, and performed weddings for young soldiers who were forbidden
to marry. He was also accused of preaching to Christians. During the Roman
Empire, this act was considered treason, and when Emperor Claudius discovered
his actions, Valentine was imprisoned and ordered to be put to Death.
So what is Love
really? Past the commercial façade, what is love all about?
Scripture puts it
ever so simply;
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 perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there
are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away........And
now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is
love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Love is not a one day event.
Love is not February 14th. Although we should take time to remember
the courageous act of Saint Valentine.
Love is what we do every single day. Love is
waking up every morning for 50 years to the same face and smiling. Love is
sticking by a friend’s side after they have lost a loved one. Love is waking up
at 3am in the morning to soothe your crying child. Love is helping that cold
hungry child on the street with a piece of bread and a warm blanket. Love is
being the bigger person and saying I’m sorry even though you know it wasn’t
your fault. Love is forgiving those who have hurt you, betrayed you, disappointed
you. Love is seeing the beauty beyond the imperfections.
So this Valentine’s day, don’t
get caught up in the fuss surrounding Valentine’s Day. Take some time to
reflect about the greatest love story of them all; the immeasurable love of
God. Make someone smile today.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete