“To improve is to change. To be perfect is to have changed a lot.” ~ Winston Churchill.
Love is all you need!" - Paul M. & John L.
Both The Beatles and Churchill are right! And both are Brits...hmmm.
I remember the amazing feeling of falling in love with Peter. Our late night talks. Frisbee in the park. Singing in the car. Cuddling on the couch. Valentines Day surprises. Meeting each others families. We wanted to spend all our time together.
One evening, after enjoying Chicken Almondine at our favorite Kensington restaurant, two elderly ladies called out to us as we were leaving. Our coats had been totally forgotten. I dreamily came back to pick them up and overheard one lady saying to the other, "Don't mind them dear, they're in love!"
I was in a 'love bubble' for months and even though I had CFS at the time and it was still undiagnosed, the fear was just not there. But those bubbles don't last forever (unfortunately). And perfect love is something found in God alone. The Bible says, "There is no fear in love, perfect love cast out fear." So how can I come to understand the depth of this so it totally changes me?
Enter Wendy. We've been friends since we were 10 (almost 40 years now). Even though we live over 2000 km apart, there is a bond between us that compresses this distance. One of our traditions is to share 'personal goals' on New Year's Day. As I was telling Wendy about my desire to understand God's love better this year, I reminded her of our Sunday School days at Clearbrook M.B. When we were about 12 years old, we had a scripture memory challenge that showed our true competitive natures. Amazingly, both Wendy and I memorized the same number of verses (50) and won cross necklaces (I still have mine). I thought it might be a great idea to get our aging minds in shape again and threw down the gauntlet. She immediately picked it up. So, 50 verses on love (we each pick 25), memorizing one a week (with two weeks off).
Now I recognize this discipline is important and am reminded of Bruce Lee who said, "As you think, so shall you become." But this is seriously tough. As I've been working on the first verse this week, I realize I have acquired a new dysfunction - MFB (Mush For Brains). I haven't attempted anything like this since university when I spent hours memorizing my biology texts.
So I'm going to soak myself in perfect love for a year and see if any of it permeates my thick skin.
"The greatest science in the world; in heaven and on earth; is love." ~ Mother Teresa
This is a great idea! Let me know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across a site called Partnering to Remember when I was looking for something entirely different, and it was a challenge to memorize the whole book of Philippians by the end of April. It has been some years since I've done that, so understand the MFB syndrome, but am soldiering on.
ReplyDeleteGood luck :)
Good luck on Philippians, Gene. I remember in ages past when you were attempting the Gospels. That brought me back to times of old where memorization was commonly used (no iPads with Kindles those days). If people had to rely on me and my memory, that wouldn't happen no more :) MFB syndrome is a living reality! I'll let you, and Heidi, know how I make out.
ReplyDeleteI love your comment... 'So I'm going to soak myself in perfect love for a year and see if any of it permeates my thick skin.'
ReplyDeleteWhen I first stumbled back to God all broken and wounded I had a theory (or revelation)that I occasionally whispered to those around me. I was convinced if I could only comprehend how much God loved me that I would instantly be healed of anything and everything. I believed that anything that was not of God would fall away in His presence. I still believe that... I don't pine for it as much, but I should. Because even though I've experienced some healing, while I'm on this side of the curtain I will never be completely 'whole'. And resting in a place of complacency - being comfortable with being more comfortable - I suspect is akin to becoming lukewarm (Rev 3:16).
So my prayer for you... and for me... and for everyone... is that we know and grow more and more in the revelation (not the knowledge... but the revelation) of God's life-changing love for us. Can you imagine...
Thanks for your prayers, Joy. Growing in the revelation of God's love for us is definitely what we need. And it will be life-changing! The sad thing is, I don't think we will totally understand how much God loves us this side of heaven. But I can hardly wait for the time when I "get it!" Until then I'll soak in love. There could be worse ways to spend my time :)
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