Love is a wonderful thing...

We started a new series at church called "Knights and Fair Maidens."  It is entertaining and educational and thought provoking as usual.  But it really made me think.  What is love?  How do you express it?  How much of what you think about love is influenced by our society?  By our parents?  Our environment? 

Everyone I know and love *no pun intended...giggle* certainly do not have the same belief system I have and it makes me wonder what/how/where they get their beliefs on what love is...

In Greek there are 4 words for love: Eros- romantic/sexual love. Storge is what we find in families between the different members.  Philia is pertaining to what we might call a brotherly love. Not brotherly in the sense of family, but in the sense of kinsmen ship.  Agape is the highest form of love there is. This is an unconditional love for others in spite of their character flaws and weaknesses.

I often wish we had more than one word for love, as I can profess my LOVE for Jason and then turn around and say I LOVE Diet Coke too.  Kind of loses some of it's meaning that way. 

For me, I try and define love as God defines it in the bible:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.   It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

I replaced the word Love with Trisha (a suggestion made by the pastor) and I was sadly disappointed to find, I don't seem to be so loving after all.  In our society yes, biblically, not so much.  I really REALLY need to practice not envying and not being easily angered.  Two things I would normally not say I struggle with...But I find that at home, I am envious of all the time Jason spends away from the house because he is ALONE (even if it is just work)  and  I envy his ability to leave the house and just know things will work properly.  And, I pray that other moms have this issue, I feel easily irritated, not necessarily mad, but incredibly irritated.  The constant demands on my time and attention.  The kids certainly deserve it and truthfully, they are quite entertaining.  It's the whining and fighting and blubbering that drives me batty. 

I often wonder why I get so frustrated because I'm such a social person, but the chronic demands of mommy mommy mommy mommy...WHAT?  Nothing.  Well, it gets old and frustrating.

But you know I love my children.  Society would deem me a good mother.  I would say I am a good mom.  But what will my kids say?  Will they say that I was fun?  Or demanding?  Crabby?  Or easygoing?  I will try everyday to be a better mother, better at loving my children.  I just pray that they'll always know I tried everyday to love them with a perfect love.  I'll never achieve parental perfection, but I sure will practice.

And Jason.  Well, I certainly love him.  I love him in all 4 forms of the Greek love words.  He puts up with a lot from me.  Some of it is what I call my "year post partum funk"  I have a rough time for almost a year after every baby, post partum depression, sleeplessness, stress, they all add up on me and it's no fun, but that, my dear friends, is a subject for another time.

Jase puts up with some crazy me.  I philia that he gets me, even on my worse day. 

So today and everyday, I am going to try my best to love my family, my friends, my neighbors, my world, my SELF,  with patience, kindness, and humbleness.  I will not be envious, nor selfish, not easily angered, not a grudge holder....I will not be happy when evil/misfortune (be it something as simple as a mean thought) befalls anyone, even people I don't care for, I'll be happy when the truth is told.  I will always protect my loved ones (with my words and person if need be) I will always hope that we will be granted more and more chances to love perfectly...I will trust that I will see love in it's perfection one day in heaven.  I will persevere through it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. 

I love that each day, I wake up and  I have a whole new chance to love my family better than the day before.

" And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."  1 Corinthians 13:13

So let's get out there and love.