Love is...

Love is....
I was doing devotions last night because I couldn't sleep, and I came to some cool realizations...simple ones..but sometimes we forget the simple things.
Love is interlinked with many things. Patience, kindness, trust...etc. When one chooses to love someone inevitably they are choosing to trust that other person. There are many 'types' of love...sibling and family love, and love. I think that romantic love and love for good friends are very similar. But I think that the core concept of love remains the same for any type of relationship.

Love is a promise. A promise to make good decisions for yourself and others you are involved with. A promise to continue to grow and improve upon weaknesses. A promise to be kind and patient. To let that person know you love them even at moments when they are at their worst. A promise to be there for them through their difficulties and not pull the rug out from underneath when they need you the most. A promise to trust that they are continuing to make decisions that are healthy for you and them.

Love is work. It takes a vast amount of commitment. In fact I read a book where it says after two years the 'infatuated love' wears off and the 'real' working love begins. I think I have always instinctively known this. It's not pessimistic. Fairy tale endings just don't happen in this world. Love doesn't end at a wedding. It has to continue. There will be many times when the people you love are unattractive and unappealing. Selfishness is what we are all fending off. Selfishness cannot exist around love. If one is truly committed and truly loving they will work through the difficulties. Do whatever it takes.

Love is sacrifice. If it were not than Jesus would have not come down here to save us from sin. One person should never sacrifice more than the other. That person who is not sacrificing anything is not truly loving the other. And the person sacrificing too much is not loving themselves...

My great grandfather told me that love is something that you work the hardest at your whole life and always feel like there is room for growing. No one has perfected love. Except God that is. Love is so phenomenal we will spend all our time in heaven and on the new earth contemplating it.

I can't wait for that.