April 22nd, 2016

The most valuable gift you can give and or receive; cannot be purchased, cannot be fabricated, cannot be given at all without the presence of sincerity. If you receive it from another, treasure it, hold it dear to your heart, consider it precious & treat it as such.

Without the presence of sincerity, this gift would be either empty words, or a nice idea at most.  I make that statement because, to give this gift to another will require the most beautiful sacrifice of self that can ever exist. The existence of this gift is everlasting into and throughout all eternity. To receive such a gift from another is the absolute highest honor and yet the most humbling to the heart.

It is priceless, beautiful & the most sought after treasure known to mankind. It has the most movies, songs, and books written about it. People have even given up their lives for it.

What is it? LOVE! 

Because of love, God gave His only son to die on our behalf, so that we may have eternal life in Heaven. Because of love, Jesus willingly laid down His life for us, so that we may have a more abundant life. Both are examples of perfect love.
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." John 3:16

The face of true love isn't the portrait that Hollywood movies paints for us, nor is it within the lyrics of most secular songs. The face of true love is not the gushy, mushy feeling of euphoria (definition; the feeling of well-being or elation) and butterflies in the tummy, rather being, the face of true love is selfless, it's enduring, it's strength to give more even when it feels as if there's nothing left to give.

When I look at my children, I don't get butterflies in my tummy but I love them with a genuine and everlasting love. I love them with a love that would lay down my life for them at any given moment. Therefore, we must not rate love with a measure of the feeling of euphoria.  On the other hand, when I look at my husband, I feel those butterflies, but that's not the genuine 'love' part of the relationship - it's a part of the romantic love between spouses but it's not the everlasting, enduring part of genuine love. It's merely the romance (the emotional 'feeling' of attraction) side of love between husband and wife. 

Genuine and true love is not self destructive, it has it's place for healthy boundaries. I do not believe in the 'love is blind' cliche`. I fully believe that love is totally aware, and yet chooses to love beyond the weaknesses and imperfections of the other person.  I am not a perfect person, but I am still created to love and be loved, and even with all the flaws I see in myself, I still love me.  I do not think my children are perfect people, but they were perfect gifts for me nonetheless and I love them unconditionally. My husband may be the perfect man for me, he is not a perfect man, and yet I love him as if he is part of my own being. My point in this is, love is not blind unless it chooses to be. For me, choosing to be blind in order to love is not love at all, more likely, it's being disillusioned.
Love sees, and love still remains.  

I would like to leave you with this;
If you give love away, you have given the greatest gift one could possibly ever give to another human being. God is love - you have shown them a glimpse of God Himself. 

If you are loved, you have received a gift from another human being that is eternal. The gift of love will outlast this life and live throughout the ages of eternity. That in itself is humbling and beyond what my mind can comprehend; to consider this gift given to me by someone else will be forever with me, forever given to me.  That's powerful! 

"Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on other's,
Isn't always "me first",
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure when right and truth prevail,
Puts up with anything and everything,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I'd like to end with the same paragraph that I began with because I believe it's a true and thought provoking statement with depths yet to be uncovered within our hearts; 

The most valuable gift you can give and or receive; cannot be purchased, cannot be fabricated, cannot be given at all without the presence of sincerity. If you receive it from another, treasure it, hold it dear to your heart, consider it precious & treat it as such.