Love Keeps Going To The End by Ruth L. Snyder

 I am very familiar with the "love chapter" - I Corinthians 13. I've heard sermons about it, I've read it, and I've also memorized it. Do I live by it?

Most people see me as a very patient person. I have a confession to make. Sometimes I'm VERY impatient, especially with my children. It's easy to "love" my children when they are obedient. Who doesn't appreciate a child who is helpful, does what you say, and tells you he or she loves you? Sometimes my children are like that, but often they are not. What happens when I've told my child to pick up her toys and she looks at me and stomps her foot? What about a son who chooses to eat cookies half an hour before supper, even though I told him to wait? How do I deal with a child who uses urine and feces to "get even" with me?

1 Corinthians 13 tells me that love NEVER fails. Love keeps going to the end. Obviously, my human love DOES fail. I run out of steam. I get frustrated and angry. I feel upset. I don't feel like hugging my child and telling him I love him. I don't feel like being consistent. I don't feel like staying calm.

That's where God's love steps in - true love that never ends. Love is a choice, not a feeling. I may feel upset that my daughter is refusing to clean up, but I can firmly remind her what's expected and count down to encourage her to be obedient. I may feel frustrated that my son ate the cookies, but I can repeat what I expect and give him a logical consequence - no dessert. I may feel angry that my son has soiled himself, the second time today, but I can choose to quietly tell him to have a bath and clean his clothes. Along with being consistent and responding appropriately, I can choose to tell my child I love him or her.

I want my children to grow up knowing that I love them. I want them to know that no matter what they do, or what they say, I will always love them. God does not base His love for us on our obedience, so neither should I. There may be tears. I may have to give myself a time-out. I will definitely have to choose to forgive. But in the end, with God's help, I will choose to love my children to the end.

What about you? Which one of the characteristics of love do you struggle with and how are you allowing God to change you?

Check out more of Ruth's writing at http://ruthlsnyder.com

Is Love A Verb? -- Bruce Atchinson

Have you ever had to do something that broke your heart, yet you knew it was the most loving thing you could do? I've had many occasions when I faced that dilemma. One of those times was when my dearly-beloved rabbit, Gideon, suffered from a prolapsed rectum. The local vet didn't know much about rabbits so he only gave me a topical cream to rub on Gideon's bottom. As the days passed, he remained in agony. In fact, he was actually gnashing his teeth because of the pain.

On February 16, 2005, I made the decision to end his misery. I placed Gideon in a pet carrier and gave him some lettuce to eat. Then I waited for my friend from church to drive me to the clinic
Because of my love for my long-eared friend, I wept all afternoon. Gideon taught me so much about his kind as well as being such a sweet little rascal. The only comfort I felt was that my dear fur-clad lad wasn't suffering anymore.

DC Talk were right when they sang Love is a Verb. Love isn't love if no demonstrations of it take place. Of course the greatest demonstration of love was Christ's death on the cross for whosoever would give their lives to him. By dying to self, we gain eternal life. The good works we do as a result of having the Holy Spirit living in us only serve to further the love of the Lord to others.

Gideon was the inspiration for my first book, When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With bunnies. See the left side of my Bruce Atchison's Books page for details