Some Thoughts On Love

As I observe the world we are in today, it is clear that love is under attack. It hits me that love is so much more than we portray it to be. Are you feeling insecure because your partner has not shown you off on social media? Or perhaps you are feeling unloved because you are yet to find a partner. Have you stopped to think about the many ways you are experiencing love in your life?

Here are some of the ways we all experience love everyday.

A look

Susan Anthony claims that in life, actions speak louder than words, but in love, the eyes do. Hence, the eyes, rather than the genitals or the heart, are perhaps the prime organ of love and are one of the most significant means through which we communicate our emotions. No wonder that the eyes are the organs that release tears, which are typically produced by intense emotional states.

Psychology Today

Have you ever been there to witness the look in a mother’s eye as she beholds her baby for the first time? Even though the baby might be covered in the birthing lather, to that mother, her baby is the most beautiful thing on earth.

It’s the way your friend looks at you just after they have laughed at a joke you just made. You can’t miss that look, you might catch it as the whimsical gaze in your father’s eye on your wedding day. How about in the lightly glazed eye of your partner just as you are about to exchange your wedding vows?

Kindness

‘Kindness is compassion and love in perfect harmony‘

Redbeach quotes

Love is in the numerous acts of kindness you experience every day. It’s in the delicious food you make for friends visiting your home. How about a way you stop to help out an older person who might be struggling to carry their groceries?

There is also love in the sincere and comforting words you say to a grieving friend who is going through heartbreak.

Being selfless

To be a good father and mother requires that the parents defer many of their own needs and desires in favour of the needs of their children. As a consequence of this sacrifice, conscientious parents develop a nobility of character and learn to put into practice the selfless truths taught by Jesus himself.

James E Faust

Love is putting someone else needs ahead of yours. It is a beautiful thing when you can do this with all your heart simply because you want the other person to be okay. Ever thought about the sacrifices that your parents made for you? One day you will make it for your own child too. Then you will understand a deeper more selfless part of love.

Meaningful gestures

Have you seen those trending meaningful gestures from husband to wife and wished you could experience them too? The truth is that meaningful gestures don’t need to be performed in front of thousands of people. It can be done in private too. In fact, I think the ones done in private are often the most meaningful.

So next time you see a meaningful gesture trending on social media, think about the many times your friends, family or partner has shown you love.

Acceptance

‘Warmth invites your partner to be who they are, relaxed, free and at peace. It bolsters their confidence and keeps them from contorting their personality into what they think you want it to be.’

Dr Les & Leslie Parrott from the book, Saving your marriage before it starts

Love is accepting someone wholeheartedly for who they are. In reality, accepting your partner with all their flaws is hard thing to put into practice. If you have been accepted by friends and family despite your bad traits, you have experienced love in its truest form.

In Closing

Love is so much more than saying ‘I love you’. Love is in action and really applying the things that do not come as a second nature. Lastly, I believe that love is putting others needs ahead instead of yours.

I will close with my favourite bible verse about love.

‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonour 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.’

1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 7 NIV