50ShadesOfTrueLove

Holding Out for a Hero

 Confession. I’m an 80’s child, and I watched Footloose. The original version. More than once. And just tonight it hit me how ironic it is that they would play “Holding Out for a Hero” as the background song for a chicken race with tractors. Note that the “hero” in question wins only because his shoelace is stuck around the gas pedal. And he nearly kills his opponent in the process. Nevertheless, Wren’s crush eventually sees this victory as proof that he is the hero she’s been waiting for all along. Who needs a knight in shining armor when you can get the guy who risks his life for chicken race glory?

The song begs the question…what is a hero? Is it someone who will do foolish, even dangerous, things? Is it someone who can prove himself under pressure? Is it someone who will trample over every obstacle in his way to get what he wants?

True love is heroic. It will sacrifice its very life for the sake of others. As for the guy in the movie, his motives were pretty self-serving. Get the friends, get the girl, get the glory. He tried to overcome peer pressure by succumbing it, which is really pretty wimpy. And it almost cost his life and that of his opponent. Not too heroic.

And since we’re on the theme 50 Shades of Love this month, let me just say this: Christian Grey is a wimp. There, I said it. No, I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but I don’t live in a cave. I’ve heard the buzz. And I can’t figure out why women are swooning over a guy who would be so un-heroic as to brutally beat a girl while attempting to buy her love in return. The guy’s backstory is no excuse—it’s just there to give the reader some sympathy for a guy who’s truly a villain. No hero would torture his beloved, no matter how tortured his past.

So let me present the truest of true heroes. His name is Jesus, and He gave everything to show his love to the world. He once intervened on behalf of an adulterous woman whom the town was set to execute—rescuing her life and setting her free. His self-proclaimed mission in life was to bring good news to the poor, free prisoners, heal the blind, and empower the oppressed. Though he was innocent of wrongdoing, he suffered and died to win our hearts. Now THAT’S what I call heroic. And THAT’S what I call true love.

Source: Holding Out for a Hero

Love Grieves

I never want to forget the pain that reminds me what true love is.

Source: Love Grieves

The Greatest Legacy

theAverageJen_TheGreatestLegacy

The world has enough “successful” people, but too few who know how to love.  Imagine the difference we’d make if we chose to fully love all of those within our sphere of influence.  Such love would be a greater contribution to our world than any of the greatest missions in history. #thegiftoflove

To Infinity and Beyond

Blast Off from Google ImagesI thought I was finished. Actually, I never expected to even start. My initial plan was to post random quotes and verses on love for fifty days. That’s it. Nothing profound—just simple, everyday reminders of what true love is all about.

My journey took me further than expected. I originally thought I’d glean most of love’s definition from the most quoted passage on love—1 Corinthians 13. But the list of love’s qualities kept growing and wouldn’t stop.

My conclusion?

True love…is infinite.

It can’t be contained, confined, or defined. It’s greater than we can imagine, stronger than we can hope, and more powerful than we dare to dream. It’s safe, yet dangerous. Simple, yet profound. Beautiful, yet messy. Impossible…yet supernatural.

Love is so misunderstood, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a wonder we expect a small kitchen appliance to come with instructions, but we think such significant things as life and love come random and undefined. How do we expect to survive this planet if we don’t know what’s asked of us in the realm of love? It bears repeating that the extensive accomplishments of humankind are rendered meaningless if we fail in the mission of loving one another.

Do we really believe we’re stranded on this earth without purpose? Have we so suppressed the obvious order and design of our universe—all because we want selfishly to chase after fleeting satisfactions? Creation speaks loud and clear. We’re here for something greater. And we’re not gonna find it if we’re bent on selfish endeavors.

Love is the only worthy endeavor.

True love comes from an infinite God…who loves all he’s created without measure. He sacrificed so we can know and live in this love, for now and for eternity. So we can experience the infinite.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
 
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:15)
 
“We love because God first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
 
 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” (Romans 5:6-10)
 
True Love…is INFINITE (Day 51, #50ShadesOfTrueLove)

Victory in the Field of Broken Dreams

Sports Stadium from Google ImagesIt’s fascinating to watch the most stoic of sports fans erupt in various displays of emotion over their favorite team’s plays. Forget the game—I’d rather grab some popcorn and watch that typically passive guy become a drama king when the ref makes a bad call. The spectacle is far greater than the most exciting of sports competitions. And when the team wins? You’d think nothing could surpass the exhibition of sheer elation. And that’s for the pre-season games. Just wait until the play-offs.

So, the underdog team overcomes the odds and wins the big game. What next? There will always be another game, another season, another chance to win or lose. And believe me, emotions will be spent on those wins and losses.

What about the daily game of life? Emotions aren’t so readily displayed for the wins and losses encountered on a daily basis. If we’re honest about the latest news headlines, we see a lot of defeat. It can get pretty discouraging. Super Bowls come and go with different teams taking the ring, but still there’s news of unprecedented human trafficking centered around the event. The Final Four makes another round, yet would-be fans refuse to travel certain states due to bias and fear. Another team will take the NBA Championship this year, and still nothing can dispel the wars and rumors of war around the world.

I was around for the Chicago Bulls three-peat and four-peat and so on, yet in the years to pass witnessed different teams come and go. In sports, no victory is lasting. In life, the forecast seems increasingly grim. The world is a field of broken dreams.

What has the power to overcome the evil, fear, and hatred in this world? Martin Luther King Jr. once so eloquently stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Love alone has the last word, the final victory. As we celebrate Good Friday, we think of the words of the man who died on the cross for the sins of the world: “Father, forgive them—for they know not what they do.” Words of forgiveness. Words of healing. Words of love.

Words of victory.

Yes, this world is filled with unimaginable suffering. Most often, this suffering stems from the hardened hearts of men unwilling or unable to love. Yet in the midst of such suffering, consider these words of Helen Keller, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” And what is the one, lasting victory in this world of hate? LOVE.

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

True Love…OVERCOMES (Day 50, #50ShadesOfTrueLove)

I Spy Love

Magnifying Glass from Google ImagesHave you ever played I Spy with a little kid? My niece used to make it impossible. She’d spy, I’d search, and after multiple failed attempts she’d finally admit it was something I already guessed ten minutes ago. My daughter, on the other hand, makes it a little too easy. She spies something green, and it could be any tree, street sign, or patch of grass I mention. No matter what, I’m right.

The game’s a little harder to play while driving at night. All you can really spy once the sun goes down…is darkness. It kind of takes the fun out of it all.

There are days when it’s easy to see the good in everything. And there are days when we look, and there’s nothing but darkness. On those days, it’s tempting to succumb to discouragement. We accept our present reality as our ultimate destiny. With constant news of war, hatred, killing, disease, disaster, divorce, broken families, addictions and more–we presume there is nothing greater than what we see with our physical eyes. Slowly, we come to believe that change is impossible and despair is inevitable.

The truth is that a diamond shines with greatest radiance when set against a dark backdrop. It is the same with our world: the darkness of evil that surrounds us can only make the light shine all the brighter. The stars would be dim to our sight if there were no darkness, but against the night sky they shine with greater intensity.

On the power of light over darkness, Richard Wurmbrand has said: “Imagine two rooms separated from each other by a thick curtain. In one the darkness reigns, the other is lighted by a candle. If the curtain is withdrawn, it is not the darkness that prevails. Darkness cannot overcome the light…light always prevails over darkness.”

In the midst of immense darkness, we are given clear visions of God’s love. After suffering unimaginable tortures in a Nazi prison camp, Corrie ten Boom was able to say, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” If we open our eyes, we will find God’s love…even in the deepest of darkness.

True Love…is UNMISTAKABLE (Day 49, #50ShadesOfTrueLove)

(Excerpted from Jen’s post “A Light in the Darkness” on the Nightlight Blog)

Love for the Rhythm-impaired

Music Notes from Google ImagesLadies and gentlemen, boys and girls, pitch-perfect and tone deaf…welcome to today’s edition of Name that Tune…Without the Tune. You will be now presented with a series of clues by which you must guess the song title without having heard one single note. Ready? Here we go.

A top 40’s hit from the 1960’s about conditional love. Got it?

Not a 60’s child? Me neither. But no matter how old you are, you’ve probably heard it on the radio or at a wedding at some point in life. Need a memory jogger? It starts with “You broke my heart, ’cause I couldn’t dance…you didn’t even want me around,” and continues, “But now I’m back to let you know, I can really shake ‘em down.” Now do you remember?

The song is all about the question, “Do you love me now that I can dance?” Apparently the guy really wants to know, ‘cause he keeps asking though he could have easily guessed the answer after the first line. If someone don’t love you ‘cause you can’t dance, they won’t love you when you can.

True love is without restrictions. It doesn’t say, “So you think you can dance? Prove it, and I’ll love you.” It loves despite your deficient dance moves. It sees beyond any flaws in your features. It persists whatever your weaknesses and failings.

One look at the infinite characteristics of true love bears evidence we all fall short. The good news is, God loves us even when we can’t love him. He loves even when we’re powerless to love our enemies, and even when we struggle to love our friends. And by his love, he enables us to love with sincere, supernatural, unfailing, and unconditional…love.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

True Love…is UNCONDITIONAL (Day 48, #50ShadesOfTrueLove)