Love-What does it mean?

I realize that Valentine's day was Monday, but I'm going to pull something from the archives that speaks of love. I wrote this about two years ago, but applies today and any other day. If you were my FB friend then, you might have read it. But here goes.....

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Love, why is she writing about love? But stick with me here and see what you think. I was listening to the Christian radio station a few weeks back and the pastor had been spending all week talking about love. The part that caught my attention and made me stay in the truck a few extra minutes was when he talked about the verse, "Love covers a multitude of sins." Then, " And God is love, and it's not an adjective." Now, where I go from here takes from what I learned at Faith, what he was talking about, and my own personal experience. This is the train of thoughts that followed that one little sermon and let's hope it doesn't de-rail along the way. Or it shows I think too much ;-).

"I think I just might understand a little bit more about true Godly love. I'm not talking about being "in love" with someone. I don't want to be "in love" because that implies that I can fall "out of love". I certainly don't want a love like that. I'm talking about the love that comes from God. God is love. Love is God. His love is perfect, ours usually is not so perfect. We say we "love" pizza, we "love" that TV show. Okay, that's NOT love. That's a like. But admit it, we're all guilty of saying that. I am. So while I am not "in love" with someone right now, there is someone in my life that I truly love (and I'm not talking about the opposite sex here, I'm talking about a treasured friendship). I'm talking about a love that's unconditional. One that's selfless. Giving without ever expecting anything in return. Loving them despite their flaws, their mistakes, knowing that they may never do for you what you've been able to do for them but you just keep giving anyways. But that's not why you love someone, for the things they do for you or for how they make you feel. You love someone and out of the love that doesn't criticize when they make a mistake or make fun of them for doing something stupid, you want and desire to serve them, to make their life a little bit better, to be there for them through the thick and thin. To put them above you. To sacrifice for them, yet it doesn't really feel like a sacrifice because you just love them that much. To have an open relationship where you can talk about the things that bug you without fearing that they will be hurt. Knowing you can come to them in Christian love and tell them the things God wants them to hear. I think I might understand a little bit more about that selfless, giving, sacrificial love, but I certainly don't have everything figured out. So, I think that's what love is. Not something to fall into or fall out of. Not something that depends on what you'll get out of it. It's being a true friend, never expecting to get back what you give, being there for them when they need it most, and pointing them to God because you know you'll never get it completely right. I've been experiencing and am experiencing this kind of love right now. Obviously, I love my family. But this love is just as strong. There are no blood lines to hold this together, it's a choice. I pray that I'll get to experience this love again, with someone who will be my "other" best friend the rest of my life. But to have experienced it once, that's a blessing. And love like that, only comes from God. It's not from my own self, but from Him."

I John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love, does not know God for God is love."