Love is patient. Love is kind.

Project 365 * 4
Day 414

    I'm having a hard time writing tonight. I've written and erased several pieces of writing already, and since it's getting late, I'm just going to list what I'm trying to say.

1. I heard Mary Lambert's song, "She keeps me warm," on the radio coming home from Patty's house tonight. Three things struck me about it:
 -"I can't change. Even if I tried. Even if I wanted to."
-"I'm not crying on Sundays."
-"Love is patient. Love is kind."

2. It's a beautiful song. But, also sort of sad. I feel like she's pleading the words, "I can't change, even if I try, even if I wanted to."

3. I've felt the sting of tears on Sunday morning. Many a Sunday morning. But I've learned through the years, that that sting doesn't come from God. It doesn't even come from guilt. It comes from people. People who preach God's love, and deny it by their actions and words. People who think that Christianity is about following a set of rules, when it is really about love. It's all about love. Love and grace.

4. "Love is patient, love is kind." I want those to be the words I live by. My anthem. I want to exude love. And kindness. And peacefulness. And thankfulness.

5. I want to teach my children about love. Real love. I'm not interested in them learning a set of rules. I'm not interested in them being judged or learning to pass judgment. I want them to learn how to love others. All others.

6. As the song played, Adelyn smiled a very sweet smile at me, and said, "this is a beautiful song." Then she kissed me, and proceeded to tell me without being prompted to do so, "I love you more than the sun and the moon and the stars...I love you more than cupcakes...I love you more than your beautiful blue eyes...I love you more than ice cream." And on it went. It made me so very proud that Adelyn realized that we were listening to a love song. And it made me proud that she knows how to tell someone that she loves them. With everything in her. With all that she has.


     Tonight, I'm thankful for these words most of all:

"Love suffers long and is kind.
It is not proud.
Love bears all things,
believes all things, 
hopes all things, 
and endures all things. 
Love never fails.
And now these three remain, 
faith, hope, and love. 
But the greatest of these,
is love."

-1 Corinthians 13:4-8