Love by Amanda Elder Silvers

"Love is a many splendored thing."  No other feeling or emotion can so thoroughly engulf one's soul that we are able to be transported to another planet through the euphoria of it or slammed down into the darkest pits of despair because of the heartbreak of it.  As a woman I love "love".  I appreciate the importance of it.  I enjoy both the giving and receiving of it.  I have seen firsthand the healing powers it possesses and I've seen the wreckage and the harsh aftermath of love gone bad or taken for granted. 

If you were asked to define the word "love" what would you say?  I could post a dictionary definition of the word, but I'd like for you to really take a second and think.  I love ice cream.  I love my children.  Is it the same?.... hardly.  Love can wear any number of faces and it can been seen through any number of actions.  First love.  Love lost.  The power of love.  The gift of love.  True love.  Eternal love.  I'm not sure there really is a right answer.  I believe that if we are blessed enough in our lives to have love then we base our definition upon our personal experience with it.

 In high school if asked to define "love" my answer would have most definitely been directed toward some boy who made my palms sweaty and heart race.  Books, music, and television all convince us that we are on a quest to find "perfect love".  <I've become a little hostile to the media because of this insinuation> In college my opinion was probably much the same.  Into adulthood however, after my children were born, my answer would become much different.  Enter unconditional love.  What an amazing thing to experience.  Before I even met these two little beings I loved them and would have given my life for them.  As a pregnant woman you eat healthy, you live healthy, and you're much more aware of your daily actions knowing now that everything you do won't just affect you, but this precious little being you have inside. Once I had the pleasure of meeting them I knew in an instant that the love I felt for them would never fade.  There is nothing either of those cute, loud, rambunctious little young'uns could ever do to diminish even 1% of the love I feel for them.  If anything it increases daily.

I like to think this is just a very small-scale version of the love God has for us, His children.  He was and is the supreme example of unconditional love.  While we were yet sinners, He loved us and gave His Son to die on a cross that we could have the opportunity for an eternal life spent with Him in Heaven.  THAT'S the most amazing love.  His love is the truest love and the one we should most desire.  The beauty is that we don't even have to do anything to deserve it.  He loves us even before we are born.  His love never fails. 

Psalm 136

Praise the Lord! He is good.
God’s love never fails.
² Praise the God of all gods.
God’s love never fails.
³ Praise the Lord of lords.
God’s love never fails.

⁴ Only God works great miracles.^[a]
God’s love never fails.
⁵ With wisdom he made the sky.
God’s love never fails.
⁶ The Lord stretched the earth
over the ocean.
God’s love never fails.
⁷ He made the bright lights
in the sky.
God’s love never fails.
⁸ He lets the sun rule each day.
God’s love never fails.
⁹ He lets the moon and the stars
rule each night.
God’s love never fails.

¹⁰ God struck down the first-born
in every Egyptian family.
God’s love never fails.
¹¹ He rescued Israel from Egypt.
God’s love never fails.
¹² God used his great strength
and his powerful arm.
God’s love never fails.
¹³ He split the Red Sea^[b] apart.
God’s love never fails.

¹⁴ The Lord brought Israel safely
through the sea.
God’s love never fails.
¹⁵ He destroyed the Egyptian king
and his army there.
God’s love never fails.
¹⁶ The Lord led his people
through the desert.
God’s love never fails.

¹⁷ Our God defeated mighty kings.
God’s love never fails.
¹⁸ And he killed famous kings.
God’s love never fails.
¹⁹ One of them was Sihon,
king of the Amorites.
God’s love never fails.
²⁰ Another was King Og of Bashan.
God’s love never fails.
²¹ God took away their land.
God’s love never fails.
²² He gave their land to Israel,
the people who serve him.
God’s love never fails.

²³ God saw the trouble we were in.
God’s love never fails.
²⁴ He rescued us from our enemies.
God’s love never fails.
²⁵ He gives food to all who live.
God’s love never fails.

²⁶ Praise God in heaven!
God’s love never fails.

(Source: Biblegateway.com)