To Love and To Cherish

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part."

I was 20 years of age - an old maid - compared to my high school friends who had already married their sweetheart. On that hot August evening, I was convinced I knew what love was.  Forty four years later I am still learning. 

My husband, a veteran minister, always counseled young couples that "True love is not the glamor or romance.  True love is breakfast with the curlers (remember those pink ones), bad breath, beards, and all that goes with it. True love is nursing someone through surgery or the flu. True love means apologizing, getting along with in-laws, and swallowing pride."

In my years of parenting, mothering, and grandmothering, I have learned a lot about love, commitment, faithfulness, and devotion.  And the amazing and wonderful part is that I am still learning.  Some of my best teachers have been my daughters and now my grandchildren. Their words of wisdom are part of my every thought. 

Once I asked the oldest grandson, "What happens if you don't love someone?"  He looked at me very strangely and gave a wise reply for his young years, "You have to love. God said so."

Loving Your Neighbor

Love. Love. Love. Love. The gospel is a word is love.  Love thy neighbor as thy brother.  Love. Love. Love.

I grew up singing that song in vacation Bible school.  Sounds easy and when I was young I thought it was.  Love to me was kissing my parents goodnight, getting treats from my Grandfather, sitting on Santa's knee, or being praised for good grades.  What's not to  love?

As an adult, I learned that not everyone loves,  I also learned not everyone is lovable.  That's when the command to love is hard to obey.  Later one I heard someone say, "remember like and love are not the same thing." 

That was freeing.  Jesus never commanded us to like everyone.  But He did mention loving others a lot - a whole lot.  I have spent the last 45 years learning the difference and figuring out how to do it.

Love

Love.  It surrounds us, defines us, and makes our lives what they are.  Love withheld produces one type of individual and abundant love produces another.  Why are we afraid to love?  We confuse so many things with love and yet most of us continually seek it.

Love is the source of all joy and happiness.  The spiritual fruit from which all others come.  Yet it remains illusive and to some unattainable.  We take great risks for those on whom we bestow our love, make great sacrifices for love's sake, and if it is true love - we never give up.

The decision to love is one of many decisions that will truly change your life.  My book  13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life addresses others.  Love is a decision that we make without even realizing it. 

Keep reading and together we will find out about love and all of the other decisions you either need to make or reaffirm for a happier more fulfilled life.