No Greater Love

Very few people know my thoughts on relationships. Mostly because no one ever asks or cares to take the time to listen. What is love? (Baby dont hurt me) Is it that schoolyard thing were you chase eachother and swear the other has cooties? maybe. Who am I to say its not? Or is that high school thing when you hold hands in the hallway between classes and then spend all night on the phone talking about nothing? Then theres the college love when neither one of you really know what you want but you know you like being around eachother, and if your anything like me...you realize its so scary to be with someone yet you want to all at the same time. Some people seem to get it right from the very beginning. When you meet your "boyfriend" in middle school and just keep falling in love with him every single day and then finally tie the knot in your twenties. Yeah, I hate those people too. Then theres people like me, who are 0 for 3 and have no motivation to meet someone in the future. I know God teaches us to love one another from the very beginning. Thats why he sent his son to die on the cross for us, to show us that love, REAL love always exist even when we cant seem to find it. I truly believe we all have our purpose, and I cant help but think that to love is one of those purposes. Maybe it is to adopt little babies as a single parent and give them the love they could never imagine, or to find your soulmate at whatever age (maybe on the second or even third try) and have your dream wedding followed by your dream honeymoon which leads to a life of love, laughter, and pure happiness. To hold your first born in your arms after hours of labor, and then grow to see your babies have babies. Or maybe its just sharing a smile with your lonely next door neighbor whose husband died yerars ago and shes never had the energy or desire to find love again because, even in heaven, he still holds her heart. We dont come to love simply by meeting a partner. We love and are showered with happiness simply by not hating and forgiving. 1 Pete 4 verse 8 tells us to "Love each other deeply, because love covers a mulitude of sins". But how do we love and not hate? I'll be honest its not easy, especially when youve been burned as much as I have. I think God wants each of us to have our own love story, and that no one love story in all His creation is exactly the same. My belief is that I've experienced heartache and failed love so that one day I can give one man my ENTIRE heart, and experience love and happiness beyond all understanding. And ill understand what I need to do each and every day to make that love truly last until death do us part. I think the same goes for divorce. I believe bad things happen to make the great things to come greater. Or it could be that God has chosen for me not to find love so that I give all of that to give the kids in Africa and across the world all the love I have. Or so I can love my patients as if they were my own mother, father, brother, sister, or children. I believe we are created for love or with contentment and independence to forever be just one person and never made for 2 to become 1 in the eyes of the Lord. I dont know, I do however know that I am not one to question God. God told Jonah that since He created the heavens and the earths, Jonah was not one to question His plan. Besides God's love, ther is one more that I will never be able to understand and thats one of a soldier, sailor, marine and all other service men and women. I chose not to spend my Memorial Day on the lake with a drink in my hand (nothing towards anyone who did) Instead I spent it walking through the precious graves of some local military cemeteries. As i passed one grave in particular, it all came to me. A love for ME someone this man did not know (just like Jesus). I can't even imagine. The gentleman had recieved the medal of honor because he refused to leave the battle ground after being injured twice. I could never do that, but I wish I had that love to give and I thank God every day for calling on those individuals and leading them to answer that call so that I can sit here and praise a God and feel safe enough to talk about it. Then there is the love of Jesus, the love that surpasses all others. The love that Jesus tells us in John 19 verse 28 he was ok to die for because he knew his mission on this earth was complete. Like it or not, we all have our mission on this earth. I know a big part of that mission is to love for John 15:13 tells us "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends". No he does not ask all of us to die for someone else. But in a way thats what we do, or at least thats what I plan to do. To marry someone and have a love so deep that im willing to give up have my life so that they can live. And then have my own children and give my crazy kid life (that never has been so crazy) so that they can grow up and have their life the way they want it. And then one day be layed to rest so that the ones I leave behind can hopefully live a life the way I have taught them. Those are my plans and that what love is to me. So if you ever have to wonder if love truly does exist (as I do at times) dont let Satan take over. Remember the love that Christ had for you, and the love that He still does each and every day. Love is something worth dying for.