琀爀攀愀琀 礀漀甀爀 嘀愀氀攀渀琀椀渀攀 ⸀ ⸀ ⸀
“I want to do better,
LOVE BETTER,
and be a better version
of who I was yesterday.”
I ALSO LEARNED THAT THERE’S MUCH MORE TO LOVE than just the
starry eyed, puppy dog feeling. Don’t get me wrong, the magic and whimsy of love is a
great feeling; you feel as if you’re floating high on Cloud 9 with not a care in the world.
There’s no doubt love is inspirational, uplifting, and life changing. But, it is also frustrating, painful at times, and quite challenging. That’s what we don’t really see in fairy
tales. Sure, dragons and evil queens are scary, but so is commitment and putting your
complete trust in someone, hoping they will never hurt you. Love can be frightening,
but I believe all of the wonderful qualities outweigh the ones that aren’t written about
on a Valentine’s card. If only we all could be completely honest at the beginning of the
relationship. I’ve often thought about starting a line of “honest” cards. You know, ones
that say something along the lines of: “I’m probably going to mess up and be unlovable
at times, and you may even want to walk away, but I promise to love you with all my
ability.” There are many expectations we place on others when we’re in love, often forgetting that we’re human. Ladies, Prince Charming doesn’t exist outside of books and
films; people make mistakes, even the good hearted guys.
If you’re looking for the Perfect Love, however, might I suggest someone by the
name of Jesus Christ. He came into this world long ago and died for you and me. That’s
right, He gave up His life for us before we ever existed! And, that is just one of the many
examples of His love for us. There’s a quote I remember hearing as a child that said,
“God is the perfect husband. He never lies, never cheats on you, and he’s always home
☀
on Friday nights!” Funny, yes, but also true. There are many verses on what love is in
the Bible, but the most well known passage is from 1 Corinthians 13. “Love is patient
and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on
its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoic-
⠀漀昀昀攀爀猀 攀砀瀀椀爀攀 ㈀⼀㈀㤀⼀㘀⤀
es with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things. Love never ends…” I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve failed at this. I’ve been
impatient, less than kind, envious, irritable… The list goes on. (Cue the whole being
human thing.) However, the love my God has for me has never failed. It is pur e, never-ending, and extraordinary. It is all of the things described in 1 Corinthians 13. While
I am flawed, I receive flawless love each and every day from Him. We may never really
know what true love is from a human, but God shows this to us every day if our hearts
are open to Him. He never disappoints!
Last month, I bought a change journal and am working on habits to set free. One
of my goals for this year is one I created last year. Not that I completely failed at it, but
it’s one I feel I should always strive for - to love as Jesus loves. I want to do better, love
better, and be a better version of who I was yesterday. With His help, I know I can do
this. You can, too! This month, there’s that holiday that places extra emphasis on telling others how much you love them through flowers, cards, and chocolate. However,
this is something we should strive to do every day. Life is too short for anyone to feel
unloved or unworthy of love. Take time to share the love with others. And remember,
there is Someone who loves you more than you can ever fathom. Xoxo!
SHEMAGAZINE.COM FEBUARY 2016
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