“I’m in it for the love!” ~ said someone who is very special to me. (smile) But then again, aren’t we all in it for the love? During the holiday season we seem to get all caught up in the “magic” of Christmas. Some say it has something to do with the birth of Jesus. Others say it’s because there is something special in the air. Maybe it’s the family time we have to look forward to or the memories of family times we had in the past. No matter what our reasons may be, something is definitely different during this time of the year. Before we figure out what makes this time of year so different, let’s talk about this illusive word “love” for a moment.
What exactly is love and why do us human-folk crave so much of it? I think we can all agree that love is something that comes from our hearts. It’s that special something that we have on the inside that is always trying to get on the outside. The actual origins of love come from God Himself. (Surprise!) The Bible says that God is love! He is not just the act of love (though He has loving acts). He is not just love in His dealings with us. He actually is love! Love warms our souls. Love encourages us. Love gets us to sacrifice for the ones we love and the things we love. Love makes us stay up late and get up early. Love presses us to find someone to love and someone who loves us. Love guards our children and love gives us the compassion to care for our aging parents. Love heals our broken hearts and forgives those who do us wrong. Love feels sorrow for those in need and love spurs our desire to help them out. Love gives and gives and gives and expects nothing in return, and the whole wide world is in hot pursuit of it! Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the whole wide world is really searching for God? (He is love, remember?) No force in the world is more powerful than love and nothing can stand against it! No-one can resist it and no heart is immune to it. Love quietly helps us to get up after we fall and love reaches out to those who have fallen. Love is everything we need and everything we want.
So back to our original thought ~ what makes this time of year so different from the rest of the year? What makes it different is we decide to love. Notice the characteristics of love? What is our focus during our beloved “ho-ho” times? For a short period of time we get our minds off of ourselves and all our stuff and think about other people. We think how happy she will be when I buy her this special gift! We are kind to the guy on the street who asks for some cash (though we know he’s gonna buy some booze). We are a little nicer, a little more compassionate, a little more forgiving because after all, it’s Christmas! Somehow in some way we manage to shift our focus away from our “almighty” self and share our heart with someone else. We seek their good, not ours. We give and give and give and expect nothing in return. And for that tiny span of time our lives are that much richer, that much more full and so much more satisfying.
So, as you search the stores for that one thing that will make him smile or warm her heart, remember it’s the love in your heart you are letting out that makes this time so special. And as you revel in the warmth and the love you feel inside, why not decide to live that way every day? What your boyfriend really wants is your love. What your children seek isn’t the train set or the dolls or the race track, it’s your love. What your parents are looking for isn’t the pricey gift, it’s your love and affection.
At the end of the day, we all need that love. God is love and the person that finds God (though He is never very far from any one of us) finds love and for the first time in his life begins to love himself. And the greatest gift you could fathom for anyone you know in this life is to give them love. So during this busy holiday season and indeed in every season remember it’s the love you feel that makes it all worthwhile. Love isn’t limited in us but only to the extent that we decide to give it out! Love other people with all of your heart and you will discover something wonderful and brand new ~ you will just be having the greatest time living you won’t know what to do with yourself! (smile)
I don’t know about you but, “I’m in it for the love!”
Happy Holidays!
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