Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Love is a Verb

Someone told me this a while back and I actually think there is a book with the same title (maybe even a movie?). How true.
Although, I fine it very easy to love. Maybe there are others that are not so lucky as I am. It's easy for me to accept someone right away, and feel love and compassion for that person. For this reason, I think, people feel very comfortable with me quickly. You ever find yourself 10 minutes into a conversation with someone and you are talking to them as if you've known them your whole life?
Maybe it's because I'm an extrovert, or do I make up the extrovertedness? (and words) then again, there are some extroverts that are just super annoying (I know, I used to be, and sometimes still can be, one of them).
"To love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive-to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before."
- Rollo May
Maybe there are times I love too much and give too much of myself, although I think that is impossible. But, maybe some people are just not ready to feel loved. Maybe they have been hurt before and have a hard time opening themselves to that love. Or maybe I'm just crazy and think everyone should love me. I mean, why not? I'm pretty lovable. :)

We all make mistakes. It's so easy to forgive, yet so hard---for the same reason it's so easy and hard to love. If we forgive, then what happens if we get hurt again? Well, we forgive again,
"And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you sven times, saying 'I repent,' forgive him"
Luke 17:4
It doesn't say, "forgive him unless..." there is no "unless". Forgiveness can be very easy and very liberating. Forgive yourself. Love yourself. Love others, forgive others (even if they don't ask for it).
I was a peer mediator back in elementary school, and they taught us anger is never the first emotion people feel. People always feel hurt first, and because of that hurt they become angry. And I find, the people that love more, always tend to get hurt more. So, what we are all afraid of is getting hurt from loving or being loved. It happens, and it will happen again. And we must always forgive and move on.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out all fear, because fear invloves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfect in love. We love because He first loved us."
1 John 4:18-19

"Let us not love in word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:18

Out of what they think is love, people can say one thing, but the action is what really speaks.