Daily Prayer - A Valentine's love note

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

A number of years ago I flipped open my Bible and landed on 1 Corinthians 13: 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, 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.

 

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13) 

Now most likely you will recognize that as "the Love Chapter", or, as I did, as "the Wedding Chapter" - I have heard it read a almost every wedding I have ever been to (including my own).

 

But on that day as I began to read through it I felt the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, telling me that these words were not about marriage, or at least not only about marriage - this was about every single relationship - spouse, friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers - that I would ever have.  That changed my whole perspective on the words of this beautiful passage.  Later, as I was reading it, I also realized that it is the model by which God loves us - Love never fails.

 

Talk about a love note for Valentine's Day!

 

Grace and peace and love be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Like summer snow
floating from a sun-filled sky,
draping airy-white on flowered fields,
Your love astonished me.
 
No frilly show,
no assorted-chocolate pledge,
no candy hearts or silver kisses
disclosed your care for me;
 
But unsparing,
thorn-wearing
cross-bearing love,
that opened hands and feet and side
to spill your heart for me,
 
To recreate,
inundate my longing soul
with giving, holding, accepting,
enfolding love for me.
 
(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/02/valentine.html)