On May 15th of this year something shiny appeared on my left hand. Yep, that’s right, I’m engaged!
The man I am to marry on August 30, 2009 is, I am quite sure, heaven sent. I could not have “thought up” a person so lovely, so perfect for me. He is beyond any of my hopes. I thank you all for keeping us in your prayers as we prepare for life together.
Obviously, my thoughts lately have been about love. I am discovering that the greatest, most important gift in life is to love and to be loved. I whole-heartedly believe that love is what God, who is Love, designed us for.
But love is not cheap. It doesn’t come easily, and is not maintained without a conscious effort. It has to be nurtured. Although it comes from God it, as all things “good, lovely, and true,” doesn’t automatically flow through us. We humans are selfish, independent creatures. Putting others before ourselves (as Christ did when He laid down His life for us) is not something we do naturally. It takes something (or Someone) stronger than ourselves to enable us to live a life of love and faithfulness.
1 Corinthians says that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. It also says that love never fails. Love trusts. Love believes. Love endures. And 1 John 4:18 says that there is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out fear.
“Perfect” love. Now there’s another subject I have been thinking a lot about. The word “perfect” means “complete.” It doesn’t mean “flawless” in the way we think of it… it means “wholeness,” “completeness.” If something is “perfect, ” it lacks nothing.
When we love perfectly, we love completely. When we allow ourselves to be loved perfectly, we become completed. These are the things I am learning and I’m sure I will continue to learn for the rest of my life.
God is Love (1 John 4:8). And when He sends love to us, directly, or through a human vessel, we are completed, because His love is perfect.
This is why there is no fear in love. (1 John 4:18 says, “The one who fears has not been perfected in love.”) Love does not fear (it is not jealous), it is not proud and does not “seek it’s own” (it is not independent) because love does not lack.
To love and to be loved requires commitment and, especially, trust. And the fruit of love is peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And only God, by His Spirit can make our love perfect. And when the love in us is perfect, it will not and cannot fail.
I hope you all are well! Please continue to keep me, my music, and this ministry in your prayers. Your support over the years has kept me going!
Stephanie
The man who loves most will love best. The man who thoroughly loves God and his neighbor is the only man who will love a woman ideally—who can love her with the love God thought of between them when He made man male and female. ~George MacDonald
