Taking it back to the BeeGees! How deep is your love???
Love. I’ve been in this constant “mantra” of trying to be more loving every day. A brother once told me that a good way to do this is to go back to this:
“Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or boastful;
it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.”
(1 Corinthians 13: 4–7)
He told me to replace the word, LOVE, with my own name. And the day I can say this passage using my name each time it says LOVE, then that’s when I know I can truly 100% wholeheartedly love. SO… here I am, thinking this is already hard enough to do, until I read the Gospel on Friday…
“‘and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.‘ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12: 30-31)
I thought loving required simply being able to just say 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 with my name, but NO. It isn’t just that. After reading this gospel, I knew that there is a greater call to Love…
If we are all children of the Lord, then we all carry a piece of Him. So to love God is to love ourselves too. But in saying this, to love God is to love all those around us as they too, are from the same Father. But as for me… to love is being able to say,
Erin is patient and kind;
Erin is not jealous or boastful;
Erin is not arrogant or rude.
Erin does not insist on its own way;
Erin is not irritable or resentful;
Erin does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.
Erin bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
PLUS I must say it in regards to not only my heart, but ALL MY MIND, ALL MY SOUL, and ALL MY STRENGTH, meaning my thoughts and ALL OF ME – not just my actions – must reflect this… through my thoughts, my words, my actions, and my being…
THEN I can say I know how to love.
I am NOT perfect. In fact, I am far from it. But what I can do is open myself up to His WORD to constantly allow Him to reveal Himself to me, the same way He has with LOVE… one step at a time… WHY? Because my journey with the Lord is a simple slow dance. It is not too fast, it is far from complicated. But it is SIMPLE. And He guides me gently in His arms all throughout. In all my daily trials and tribulations, He awakens me every time with one question…
“My child, how deep is your love?“
“How Deep Is Your Love”
I know your eyes in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again
And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave
And it’s me you need to show
How Deep Is Your Love
How deep is your love, How deep is your love
I really need to learn
‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breaking us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to You and me
I believe in You
You know the door to my very soul
You’re the light in my deepest darkest hour
You’re my Savior when I fall
“You may not think
I care for you
When you know down inside
That I really do
And it’s me you need to show
How Deep Is Your Love”
Come Holy Spirit, fill Thy servant as You will,
Amen.