Wednesday's Word--

Wednesday's Word--

It is now Wednesday.  Early Wednesday.  All day I have been thinking about unconditional love.  Thinking about love is not difficult, but when the word unconditional is added, it changes everything.

Love often has conditions attached to it.  We love because of what we receive in return.  If what we receive fades away,  does love remain?  Love in its best definition is a verb.  It is an action.  We show our love by behaviors.  Certainly we all say those words--I love you.  But we all desire the actions that show us that love.  That is when we truly feel loved.

Unconditional love says that love is there always.  There are no limitations.  There are no boundaries.  Even when it hurts,  we continue to love others with the greatest of care.  Parents love their children this way.   Even when those beloved children hurt or disappoint, the love we feel is unconditional.

Have you ever heard this said?  "Love the person but not what they do."  Or "Love the sinner but not the sin."  Do you think that is putting conditions on your love?  As long as the other person behaves in a way that fits my description of acceptable, I love them.  Once they move into the other column, my love changes.  This is dangerous ground.  I know that.  There are people who do terrible things to others.  Am I to love them anyway?  Or am I to stand up for those who are victims?  Am I to love the person who intentionally harms another the same way I love my friend?  If the answer is yes, I am afraid I fail at this.

Are we afraid to love this way?  Are we putting ourselves in a vunerable position when we love others unconditionally?  If the answer is yes, then we are thinking about our needs and not the other person.  We are basically saying we will love if.  What we put after the if, is up to each of us.  Those conditions change the nature of love.  I think this speaks of fear.  Fear that we are not worthy of being loved completely.  We know ourselves.  We know the uglies that live within us.  If another person saw those uglies, they would run in the other direction.  So, we keep the walls up just a bit.  We allow them to peek over the walls, but we are afraid of their response to the real us.  This speaks of forgiveness.  Forgiveness of ourselves.

The Creator teaches us through example what unconditional love looks like.  It is something we can achieve if we remove ourselves from the center of our universe.  Oh--that is a difficult thing to do.  But how wonderful to see others as the Creator's creation, too.  To know that each person is precious.   To understand that no one is perfect.  To treat others as we wish to be treated.  This love treats everyone with respect and care.  No one is left out.  I like that.  No one left out.   I have felt left out.  Have you?  It is such a desperate feeling.  To know that all are included is life changing.

I will end this with a quote I read in a magazine recently.  I don't remember the name of the magazine.  But I wrote this down because it spoke to me.

"At the end of our lives our primordial fears come crashing down, allowing us to see what has always been on the other side: unconditional love."  Oh that we could see this before this point in our lives.

Thursday's word--conversation.  Have no idea where that one will lead.  We shall see.