Roses may be red and violets blue but Love is… NOT poetry

My Dad’s wedding gift to us was a simple assignment. Read 1 Corinthians 13. Of course we were both already familiar with this passage, and studied it together during our courtship.

I remember us attempting this whlist in the first days of our newlywed high – with the best intentions, it seemed like the easiest task. Piece. Of. Cake.

But, I can safely say three years later – actually being married takes the words of 1 Cor 13 from “nice ” to NECESSARY!

When I heard this scripture at weddings it sounded “nice”, I would day dream about having this love one day. But now within a marriage I’m learning…

Love is not poetry, though it can be inspiring, beautiful and poetic

Love isn’t a fuzzy feeling

Love usually isn’t getting ‘your way’ by any means

Love doesn’t do the bear minimum

Love goes above and beyond

Love isn’t fleeting and thrill seeking

Love isn’t always social media friendly or retweetable, or likeable

Love has no filter and no hiding place

Love doesn’t play games

Love doesn’t have a plan B

You can’t “fall out of love” because you didn’t “fall” in to it

Love is a choice

Love is usually not the popular choice, but the best choice.

God is Love

God is Love, and if you truly believe this as a Christian it will transform your approach to loving your spouse, a sibling, colleague or stranger.

As I encourage you to (re)visit 1 Corinthians 13 today, I ask – can YOU love like this?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

I Corinthians 13:1‭-‬8 NKJV