The Letter L

Today's letter is the letter 'L' and it is used for the word Love. We can say we love the snow, we love sunsets, we love flowers, we love our homes, but is this the way Love should be used? Sometimes I think we overuse the 'L' word and other times I feel it is underused. I am not going to debate that you really love the rose bushes you tend to each year, because that isn't the reason for this post. The simple reason is to remind people that Love is a wonderful thing and sometimes when we get caught up with the daily rat race, we forget what love feels like, what is sounds like, what it is.

Love is a strong emotion, it is affection or strong affection towards another person based on feelings, desires, admiration and devotion. If you admire your roses and devote all your spare time to tending them, you very well may love them.

I hope we have all experienced love in our life. I know I have and I am blessed for those that know and love me in spite of my faults.

The Bible tells us 'to love our neighbors as we so love ourselves,' but I know for many of us (myself included), loving my neighbor is not on my list of things to do. Liking them is even stretching it. It wasn't always that way, when I lived in Arizona, I loved my neighbors and would have done anything in the world for them & I believe they loved us back.

When wondering what Jesus would want us to do, there are entire chapters on the subject of love. In 1 Corinthians 13, we are told, 'Love as Christ loves.' WOW!!

I don't love my neighbors, but I do pray for them. I bring in their trash can on occasion and say hello when spoken to. I carefully check behind and under my vehicle before getting in because I am terrified of running over their little dogs they let run around all over.

If we go without love for very long, I believe we become bitter and hard and that isn't how God wants us to live.

Today, I was outside on school grounds helping a youngster find his class when the group of kindergarten students saw me and before I knew it, I was literally swarmed by little kids hugging my legs and I could not move. They held onto me and hugged me until I had to plead with them to let go as I had another class.

While these students do not love me, in many ways with their gesture, I felt so loved and so at peace.

When was the last time you told your spouse, child, father, mother, etc. that you loved them?

Begin today, love is so worth it!