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A discussion on LOVE::04February is the month in which there is a day that we celebrate Love in a formal tone to the one we are closest to. In my case it will be Dale! But it often comes to my attention that couples do not celebrate their "loved one" any other day of the year. So HOW do we celebrate a loved one?If we look at the New Testament we will find that the way to do that is quite clear. In the case of our Eternal Love we are to do it with all of heart, soul and strength. We are to do it freely,, voluntarily with passion! We can accomplish this with great joy when we realize He loves us more than anyone else! He died for us and He did that even before we knew what was really going on! He did it freely knowing that we could reject what he had so fully and painfully accomplished. WHAT PASSION!!!!! Then comes the real test… we are to love our neighbor … as ourselves! Whoops… "like what" you say? I say again ….LIKE YOURSELF! Trust me that on the inside of everyone of ourselves is a little lawyer that is a workaholic, with a set of scruples that sometimes will leave you wondering IF he is not a shyster of some sort! This little lawyer has the sole purpose to defend us when under attack or protect us from change. ALLL ATTACK and ALLL CHANGE! Good or bad it makes no difference to this little lawyer! (AND he is quick to defend, and has a vocabulary that will leave you reeling with the force of his words, and a memory like an elephant!!!) So when Love comes and we are required to "die to self" or to change our character because God is interested in that change… the little lawyer goes into high gear and works with no limits of time to preserve the status quo! Change of character requires both motivation from God and God's strong right hand. But it also means we have to "kill" the lawyer right along with ourselves as we progressively come into the place that an eternal form of love can be celebrated! The refusal to allow anything that would harm your loved one is one way to celebrate that loved one! That my dear friends, is a choice. A choice that we have to make a thousand times a day. AND IF we do it as we would do to ourselves it will always include the most affectionate means possible. I know from my experience that I am often reminded by God and Dale I am not doing this. OOPS!! But gentle reminders are not meant to kill you only remind you of the absence of the "dear" thing. You see Love insists on blessing the loved one…abundantly!!!! Beyond all we can dream of. That is what so exciting when we get flowers or chocolate or a night at a restaurant or a special arrangement at home with our spouse! AND when the Lover of our soul, comes He absolutely overwhelms us with His presence! But this requires us dying to self to receive! To receive there is a strong element of humility! To receive there is also a strong sense that we did nothing to deserve such extravagance.!!!!! We often say…"OH my, you shouldn't have done it!" Interpreted into real language… DO IT AGAIN…. More abundantly… more please… I love it!!!!!!!!!!! Knowing that the uniqueness of the act itself is a soul joy that is wonderful!!!! [even IF it is the same thing your spouse did a year ago!] You see to give is Love and to receive is also Love!!!! It is the two sides of the same coin. Remember Jesus sitting the house of the Pharisee with a woman absolutely weeping and cleaning Jesus' feet with her tears and hair? And then she abundantly blessed his soul and body with the most costly thing she possessed (beyond her reputation…) AND Jesus received it! With great humility saying that this is what the Father was looking for! Have you ever looked up the word beautiful? I looked it up in Vines dictionary for interests sake and found a surprise. Beautiful describes that which is seasonable, produced at the right time, or the time when anything is at its lovelist and best. This description of beautiful belongs to the creation of God and is seen full in nature and it realm. It describes that which is beautiful because it is, in it season, of natural excellence. Actually there are three beautifuls. I love GOD!!! His language of love is so full and abundant. The second beautiful belongs to the realm of art. It is used to describe that which is beautiful because it is elegant. This word is used in contrast to that which is rustic or base. The third use is that which is beautiful as well as being proportioned in all its parts, or intrinsically excellent. And GOD calls us beautiful! AND OUR GOD is all of the above and essential the BEAUTIFUL GOD, intrinsically excellent in ALL of his parts!!!!!!!! So…. How did you , or better yet… do you give your beautiful love to your love????? [ OR did your little lawyer win his case? ] Beth Boehs | mail to Beth | beths archive | |
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