What if instead of saying "I love you" we said what it really meant?
Saying to someone, "I am promising to be patient with you. I will be kind to you. I will not envy you nor boast of what I have that you don't. I won't think of myself as being better than you, and I won't be rude to you. I will put you first before my desires. I will keep my cool and not be easily angered. No matter how many times you mess up, I'll just let it go and not bring it up again. If something bad happens to you, I'll feel your pain, and if something wonderful happens, I'll join in your celebration. No matter what, I will try with everything I have to always protect you and always trust you. I will always keep hope in my heart. In everything we go through, my love for you will stay strong and it will never fail."
To me, loving someone seems to be the greatest promise I could ever make to another person. To love someone is a serious commitment, one that should not be taken lightly. Looking at what love is, I feel like I'll never be able to really, honestly love anyone to the fullest. I'm human. But maybe...maybe it comes one step at a time. I'll learn how to be patient with people, how to be kind, and it will grow from there. Or maybe with every situation I encounter, I have to make a decision to choose an aspect of love over any immediate reactions. I'm not sure why I ever thought love was an easy thing. Love is deeper than I've ever realized before. I know I am able to love though, just not through my own strength. I will love because He first loved me. I think my greatest accomplishment in life will be if I learn to truly love and to let myself be loved.
Be loved..beloved. One who is loved.
