Yes, but what does that mean? I look at 1Corinthians Chapter 13 in the Bible for a beautiful definition of love.
“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…”
Obviously, we all have a long way to go to have this kind of love. At the beginning of Chapter 14, we are told to “Make love your aim…” We have not arrived yet! I am going to try to concentrate on the first two attributes of love —patience and kindness— and I invite you to join me.
I need patience because everything is not perfect, either in myself or other people. I make mistakes. Other people make mistakes. Also, I have certain faults I wish I didn’t have, and other people have faults that irritate me. So, I need patience. I need it when I can’t do as much as I think I should be able to. I need it when other people disappoint me. I need it when my plans don’t work out. I need it when I think something has to change NOW. I will practice being patient. I will have to be patient with myself when I fail at being patient!
Kindness is so important. I need to be kind to myself! Then I can also be kind to other people. It would be kind to take care of myself physically and emotionally. If I think of myself as a precious four-year-old, maybe I can practice being kind in a different way. I need bedtime, nutritious food, encouragement, cheerful surroundings. I need to start treating myself differently. I need to be kind to myself especially when other people are not. Is someone angry at me because I screwed up? I may have, but I still need to be kind to myself. I will let myself not have to be perfect to be loved.
Love is patient and kind. I am going to start right now to make love my aim. Merry Christmas to me. And to you too.
