What we usually don't think of is the love that stands by while their partner stresses out while trying to work on a wedding budget or the love that puts up with the crazy person that needs everything to look clean all the time...or to make this less personal, the love that hugs the child that is screaming, "You are so unfair! I hate you!"
The truth is that these moments truly define love. Let's look at one of my favorite scriptures that talks about love in 1 Corinthians.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.This really talks about love in the hard situations...the ones that will define your relationship of love with a person.
So many times, we think of love in terms of the times it is easy, the times when it feels good, not those times when you are counting to 10...or 100...to avoid emotionally reacting to a situation and making it worse by getting angry.
I am so grateful for the love I receive...and I know I am not always the easiest to love because I am that guy who had a stress fest over a budget and I am that guy who needs everything clean before leaving the house and I am sure that I was that kid at one time or another who either with his words (or actions) said I hate you to his parents. True love shows up when things aren't easy. That is the love God calls us to show to others and that is the love the world needs to become a better place for everyone.
Do you love when the person needing it is difficult? Can you love when the word is hard and harsh? If we each rally around love, the world will be a better place.
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