The power of love (a snippet)

Hey loves! Hello there! L-O-V-E...L-O-V-E...LOVVVVEEEE.  Mmmm...so many wonderful connotations are associated with this word for me.  Romantic relationships, family relationships, real friends, passion for an organization/field of study/ministry/sport/artist....so many things.  But the REAL meaning of love that really distinguishes it from others is the genuine action that comes from LOVE.  The Bible on love:


Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; itdoes not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends...

-1 Corinthians 13:4-8

A very familiar passage but still VERY important.  Something else on love from the Good Book: 

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. -1 John 3:18

Of course there are MANY more verses of Scripture about love.  One of my favorite examples of love (other than God sending Christ to die for us)  comes from Colleen Townsend Evans in her book, Love is an Everyday Thing. Ms. Townsend describes the ordeal of a woman who's husband leaves her for another woman.  Ok, so maybe you think: typical.  He probably got sick and the ex-wife took care of him.  But this story is soooo much more compelling...

The woman's husband often traveled overnight on business trips for his job.  On one extraordinarily long trip, the husband sent his wife a letter explaining that he fell in love with the housekeeper for his hotel room in Asia and was leaving his wife for her.  The housekeeper was also pregnant by him.  (Insert own emotions: "Say what?! I woulda...!!!!") The wife was crushed.  She had no children.  She did not retaliate in anger or bitterness.  Being a Christian, she took this betrayal, hurt, anger, and resentment to the Lord.  This woman did not even run her ex-husband's name through the mud!  She decided she would LOVE anyway.  Not long after, she found out that her ex-husband died and that the new wife and children (yes, this man had MORE THAN ONE CHILD BY HER!) were in a pitiful state.  The new wife had no source of income and was unable to take care of her children.  The ex-wife's heart ached for them (WHY?!?! Love is not resentful). She arranged to have the new wife and children flown to America to live with her so that she could TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THEM.  Not long after, the new wife also died and the ex-wife did not send them to an orphanage or try to get them into the foster care system...SHE RAISED THEM AS HER OWN...

WHAT AN ACT OF LOVE! (this story is the U.M. paraphrase)

If you're like me you're ready to cry out, "LORDDDDD!!!! Help my love walk!!!! I can't love as You love us without Your help!  Holy Spirit, You are my Helper.  Help me to love as Jesus has commanded me as I abide in Him and am prunnnnneeeedddd. I'm so GLAD that NOTHING can separate me from YOUR LOVE!!!!!" As you ponder your definition of love and assess your love walk...check out the book of 1 John...and this song by Level 3:16 a group with ties to Cross Movement Records and a national college campus ministry called The Impact Movement.

And their collaboration "Love" with t.Jay.

Til next time,
U.M.