The Thing About Love

There are eighty-two drafts in my recently edited folder on here. I keep coming up with topics and ideas, for them to fall flat and the words I was going to type vanishing from my head, the blinking cursor on my screen mocking me as I fail to come up with how to write to you, or even what to write to you.

Occasionally, I write, however, I’m am by no means a writer.

Obviously, I am not a philosopher, just a person with opinions like everyone else, and sometimes I wonder why I bother to type them out and publish them on here. Does anyone really care to read this? Why did I start writing on here? I’m not sure, but here I am, rambling once again to the handful of people that will take time to read this, so, hi.

How are you?

Have you found yourself lost in the noise of this season too? It’s cliché, but time flies by fast, and catching your breath is hard sometimes.

Sometimes, I forget to think. Life has swept me up, and I am simply trying to stay in one piece.

Sometimes I forget about my goals and about who I want to be.

“I want to be the person who loves first.”

My friend said that phrase without a thought one night months ago, and yet it still echoes in my head.

Because, the thing is: I’m not good at loving first.

I’m really, really bad at it.

When I think about it, a lot of being a Christian can be put into one word: Love.

And before people jump on my back for writing that, love comes in different forms.

Love isn’t always goodbye hugs, good morning texts, and bringing soup to your sick friend.

It isn’t always a couple’s first kiss as man and wife, or the first time a baby smiles at its mother.

Sometimes love is telling someone something they don’t want to hear but need to. Sometimes love is a parent punishing their child. Sometimes love is saying the words that are stuck in your throat, even if tears come with them. Sometimes love is having hard conversations. Sometimes love is disfellowshipping someone. Sometimes love is letting go. Sometimes love is Abraham placing his only son on the altar. Sometimes love is bleeding on a cross, dying the death of a criminal while innocent to save the world from their sins.

Love isn’t always easy.

Love isn’t always sunshine and wearing your rose colored glasses.

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”-Ephesians 5:1-2

I can be loving, but so often I neglect to if people don’t ask for my time.

Imagine what would have happened if God was like me. How could we have ever asked Him to die on the cross to save us when we can still barely comprehend such a loving sacrifice?

No, God is not like me, unlike me, He is perfect. Unlike me, He doesn’t need a reminder to love first, He simply does and always has.

Love. Just love.

Love first, love hardest, love most. Learn to love and learn to be loved.

Love those that love you, and love those that don’t.

Just love, and when all else fails: love some more.

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”-1 John 4:17-19

That’s all I have to write tonight.