The power of love

1 John 4:7-12

          I recall as a young man saying to someone that I loved them but I was not in love with them. Such a fine distinction I was able to come up with. I find it a little comical now though the nature of love is so broad and expansive it really isn't a funny subject except in how we deal with love. God may very well view as infants  (no matter what our age) as we try so immaturely to love and divine the ways of love, to divine the ways of His love.

           Love is such a nebulous and fascinating subject. Love is perhaps the essence of our existence and it is perhaps our one try goal in life. That is, to love ourselves (accept whom God made us to be) and to love others. In trying to comprehend the ways and depth of love though we can make in seem incredibly complex and make novice mistakes as only we humans perhaps can do.

           One of my most memorable labyrinth walks was a regression of my life to the point before I was conceived by my parents to when I was conceived in the mind of God. The center of the labyrinth then became an immensely powerful place where I met the mind and creative love of God. Perhaps that's redundant. I was overwhelmed, shaking and crying.  

            Love is overwhelming. Love is all encompassing and simply more than we can take in and understand and yet we know it and it is palpable. I cannot adequately explain the number of times I am overwhelmed by the love of my husband and the love God showed me in gracing me with his presence and love. There are many times I feel so loved in our relationship that I could cry tears of happiness and joy. 

            If only for today, it may be a treasure to try to be cognizant of the love around us and the fantastic array that God places around us and in our lives. It makes for humbling thankfulness, great joy and a zest for life. 

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.