"Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live."
~Robert Southey
REAL LOVE
real love fully accepts a person "as is"
real love sees beyond appearances to the heart of a person
real love sees evil and remembers that all humanity’s got the disease
real love sees the evil in another and looks past it to the good
real love sees the evil that causes hurt and challenges it to get out
real love sees the good in a person and challenges it to come forth
real love sees every person as made in the image of God
real love knows every person is as special as God makes ME feel
real love knows EVERYONE suffers from inferiority complex and needs validation
real love speaks truthfully, without overdoing it
real love sees the pain another carries and draws close to help carry it
real love discovers the right way to meet another’s need
real love recognizes a heart feeling emptiness and offers what will fill it
real love gratefully accepts imperfect gifts given with sincerity
real love remembers to say "thank you"
real love stands ready to says "yes"
real love says "no" when it’s truly best
real love isn’t irritated by the irritating
real love finds the right outlet to dissolve anger instead of burying it or lashing out
real love says "I’m hurt" without causing hurt
real love means that when I know I’ve caused hurt, I hurt too
real love knows it’s EVER needing to say "I’m sorry"
real love knows saying "I’m sorry" means most when it comes with "I was wrong"
real love forgives completely
real love knows what and how to forget
real love knows what and how to remember
real love wants to share what’s most treasured
real love knows that real love means real sacrifice
real love will sacrifice even what’s most dear
real love is willing to go to the grave
real love goes past the grave into eternity
real love loves without dependence on being loved back
real love loves even those who seem unlovable
real love is usually simple but rarely easy ...
... and PERFECT love does not fear
History’s greatest "I love you" was written in blood on a hill called Calvary. The same amount of love it took to send Jesus to Calvary is the same amount of love God wants YOU to have from Him EVERY day...
We don’t have to deserve God’s love ... only be willing to receive it.
We love Him because He first loved us...
And this commandment we have from Him:
that he who loves God
must love his brother also.
~ 1 John 4:19-21 (NKJV)
#loveoneanother
Copyright 2004, 2009 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Permission given to reprint for free-distribution only, with credit to author, Anne Lang Bundy.
Photo credit unavailable, with apology to unknown artist.
Absolutely beautiful, Anne. I hadn't read this before and am very happy you decided to post it!
ReplyDeleteI love that real love says no when it's truly best! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteI find your work very, very thoughtful. On John's comment that we love Him because He first loved us, I used to feel that our loving Him was just the result of His loving us. As I considered it further, I decided our loving Him is also the cause, or the reason, why we love Him. We may love Him, but we can never love Him first. He has taken that initiative and in doing so has created the very possibility of loving Him in return. Does that make sense to you? dk
ReplyDeleteIn re-reading what I just said, it didn't come out on the keyboard like it was in my mind. I meant to say "I decided that His loving us is the reason why we can love Him" It's both the cause and the result. He doesn't simply love us. He creates the desire and the ability to love Him back. dk
ReplyDeleteAnne, you have at least two months of material for twitter here... :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to think God gave you an I.Q. of about 145+
Thank you again for sharing and teaching... :-)
And real love was completelty realized - once. You've got a poem here, Anne.
ReplyDeleteThe one that struck a chord - "real love loves without dependence on being loved back." Convicting and oh, so true. Beautiful compilation, Anne!
ReplyDeleteBridget, I feel like 'love' is the theme everything I write must be about. I thought this a good synopsis. Thanks for hosting such a worthy one word for the carnival.
ReplyDeleteT. Anne, are you thinking of His every 'no' for us?
Don, I think of it like the child who asks me for money and a ride to the dollar store so he or she can buy me a gift. The trinket becomes precious and valuable because it was freely given.
Russell, thanks, but you're going to embarrass me. First, I prefer to say sharing, not teaching, to cover me for inadequacies, and to keep things comfy here. (Think vegatables hidden in carrot cake. :D) Second, shall we call it L.Q.? Love quotient comes by His Blood, my willing sweat and tears.
Glynn, I hadn't thought of this as poetry. I suppose that is what I've done. Ta-dah! (But really, inspiration only hits me at moments. When I try poetry on purpose, it never seems to work.)
Candace, when I first wrote this nearly six years ago, I suppose it was a compilation of what the Lord had been teaching me for over forty years. I'm still challenged by my own words, believe me.
Awesome Anne! Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeletegood thoughts, all.
ReplyDeletePaul, thanks for stopping in, for the RT, for the follow. May what you've found here prove life- and love-bearing in your walk.
ReplyDeletenAncY, the way you weave even three words is a delight. : )
Lord, help us to love others like you loves us...
ReplyDeleteuh, my grammar
ReplyDeleteNatasa, love, loves, loved, loving—doesn't matter how you say it, it's wonderful to receive, wonderful to share. :D
ReplyDeleteAnne, Thank you; this love really jumped out at me as a gentle reminder on how we choose to interact with others when they have made us cry, "Real love says "I’m hurt" without causing hurt."
ReplyDeleteJoAnne, I suspect there's a story behind every one of those lines in every one of our lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in.
Wow! What a thoughtful, thought-FILLED list. Good to see it... makes me pleased that I began blogging on NY Eve; have seen some "love"ly posts since then. Glad to be able to see these posts now.
ReplyDeletecarryjo ~
ReplyDeleteThis remains one of my favorite posts. I'm glad you caught it.
It's been a distinct pleasure getting to know you. I'm pleased you began blogging also.