Love... for real

What is true love? Everyone talks about it. Secretly everyone longs for it. A few think they have it... maybe they do... but what is it? How do you find it? If you're looking for the answers to all of those nagging unanswered questions in the universe you'll probably come away after reading this blog disappointed. What I know is that love can be a very illusive thing. I've heard people talk about love. I've even heard some pretty uncaring people even tell me how sensitive and loving they are. Love isn't words, after all we can say anything and not mean it. Love can't be actions alone because I could do things that look kind or "loving" without really being motivated by love. So what is love? I think love is a process. It's a processs that doesn't happen in a vacuum or with one person all alone in some solitary place. Love happens with people, face to face and hand to hand. Love isn't an event... it's a process. It happens among people and God, it's mysterious and tangible. It's invisible and visible. Love is patient and grows more patient. Love is kind and grows more kind. It's forgiving and grows more forgiving. Love lives between between people and between people and God. Love comes from God but somehow people have tried to lay claim to love as if it were theirs. Love so many times gets hijacked by well meaning people and takes a beating when people fail at loving, that's what people do, mess up. God on the other hand, the creator of love, shows love. Love, for real. His love has no short comings, no flaws, no failures. He is love. True love is real, oh yeah. It just doesn't happen because of me of me or you. It comes from somewhere else, from God. I've said to people how I've loved so well in certain situations and then fall flat on my face sometimes within minutes. We need love to come from somewhere other than us but to still live between us. How do I love the homeless guy on the street corner, by saying God bless you or by putting a hot meal in his hand? How do I love that guy at church who drives me crazy, come on you know that guy. How do I love the people that don't love me? We need love... not just the words, not just the actions... love....... for real.