I've been thinking about the word love a lot lately. I happened to get a fun email about how kids defined love. Here it is if you would like to read it.
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-old's, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4
'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7
'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily - age 8
'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7
'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6
'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7
'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6
'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8
'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6
'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7
'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4
'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' Mark - age 6
'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
I really like the last one about the boy. I've seen it several times over the years and each time it reminds me that sometimes love is just the quiet knowing that you are not alone. Like the pastor said recently, some people come to God as a last resort when He should have been the first option. God is always there. Quietly waiting for us to remember that the loneliness we feel is false. Patiently waiting for us to hand over our problems. Prodding us to turn to Him in all things. Too many times we take that love for granted. Our triumphs somehow become all our own and we forget to praise Him. But our sorrows bring us down and we turn back with confession on our lips.
Laura's Story has a song called Blessings. It's about praying for help, removal of burdens, healing. It talks about how we scream and cry if we don't get the answer we want. The song points out that all prayers are answered to God's glory. "A thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near." If you are aware that the author's husband died from brain cancer, the song becomes heart rending.
I've had those nights of praying and begging for healing. God didn't heal Andy. He died just shy of his 24th birthday. As I look back, it was through his illness that he and I both turned back to God. We went from stupid teenagers who knew everything to adults who understood that God is the beginning. end, and middle of all things.
I've prayed and begged waiting to know if my newborn son would breathe. He survived and thrives as a hyper little 5 year old.
God is love. We learn love by learning about God. It can be hard to remember that when the love of God means we lose something we want to hold on to. I may want to sometimes forget that lesson because of the pain it can entail but it is true.
If you are a friend, know that I love you. As the saying goes, "Make new friends but keep the old, for one is silver, the other gold." I may not speak to you or see you for years, but I say a prayer when I think of you. I tell God that I hope you are happy. I pray that He comforts you in times of need. I look forward to the day that we meet again in heaven if we never see each other on earth again.
It doesn't matter how many years pass or the pain experienced. Love is a blessing. One that grows the more it is given away. To my silver and gold friends, I love you.
