Love Never Fails
1. She gently pulled the bow over the strings of the cello, coaxing a rich, deep melody from the instrument. A piano quietly entered and joined in harmony. Soon, a guitar, flute, and finally a voice tenderly wrapped the listeners in harmonic convergence. The words floated through the air and pulled them into a message of love.
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.
The words, penned by Charles Wesley, brought with them a tender sense of wonder, joy, and hope. Wonder at the encompassing love of God. Joy in the assurance of God's provision no matter what the circumstances. Hope that the storms of life would pass.
When the final notes hung in the silence, there was a communal sense of peace; a quiet moment to pause and reflect. The musicians quietly moved from their places as the service continued. The words, melody, and mood of the music continued to play over and over in her mind. The peace and hope seeped deeply into the core of her being as she thought about the wondrous love of God.
Love is hard to define. It is emotion, action, compassion, and so much more. Love can be for a friend, a parent, a sibling, a soul mate, or a complete stranger. Love can take us to emotional highs; acts of compassion; or valleys where we walk with another.
In the first letter to the Corinthians, "Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails!" (1 Corinthians 13)
Today is the day set apart to celebrate the joy of love. Yet, so often love is not what is celebrated but rather the outward show of love. Instead of sacrificial acts of love it has become a day to buy presents, to entice someone to love or merely a time to celebrate the physical act--not the true root of love. It is so easy to lose sight of love, to become lost in the trappings of expression rather than true love.
He has spent almost fifty years of his life loving her. His life was drawing to a close. This would probably be their last Valentine's Day together. He was no longer able to go shopping for himself. In one of his few lucid moments, he whispered in his daughter's ear "please go buy a card for me for your mother--oh, and a present."
She went to the store, scouring the racks of cards, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, found a card that seemed to be written just for him to give to his love. Glancing over the shelves of "valentine's" she saw a small candy jar of two bears wearing one sweater which said "two bears--one heart." Purchasing the items, she slid them into a gift bag and took them to her father.
She and her mother entered his room in the care facility at the same time. After embracing his wife, he looked at her. She held the bag up behind her mother's back and he nodded. Sending her mom on an errand she held the card and supported his shaking hands as he signed the card, "To my Joe, I love you, Ray" and then held the gift on his lap as she returned to the room.
Her joy knew no bounds when he surprised her. The entire day was a gift. He was present with them and they talked and laughed about their lives together. Just a few days later, watching her walk into his room, he passed from this life to the next. Their love never died.
The love of God is so much more than we can imagine. God is our refuge, our comfort, our teacher and guide. The love of God is always true--and never fails.
Loving God, we become so caught up in the emotions and trappings of this world that we often overlook and fail to see that you are our true love. Help us to learn about love from you. Instill your compassion in us so that we too can love others as you love. So be it. Amen.
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