“With respect to love we speak continually about perfection and the perfect person. With respect to love Christianity also speaks continually about perfection and the perfect person. Alas, but we men talk about finding the perfect person in order to love him. Christianity speaks about being the perfect person who limitlessly loves the person he sees.”
—Soren Kierkegaard
The Work of Love
Two days ago, I saw the most beautiful expression of the work of love.
While spinning feverishly in the Turkish Tea Cups at Busch Gardens (yes, Rob and I are living life on the wild side of empty nesting—it took awhile to stop seeing double as my dear man insisted on spinning us even before the ride started), I couldn’t help but smile at all the joy I saw on the faces of every person spinning wildly out of control (and on purpose). The laughter—priceless. The young. The not-so-old. The very small. Laughing and smiling and forgetting about everything outside the tea cup.
And then the ride stopped. As I regained my sense of balance from Rob’s let’s-see-how-fast-we-can-spin game, I noticed a father and son regaining their sense of balance as well. Yet, something very different unfolded before me. The father, holding a cane, gingerly placed a ball cap and black pair of really cool sunglasses on his son and then gingerly moved down the one step to the ground. Then, it happened. The work of love, real I-love-you-every-day-and-then-some-more love happened. The young boy seemed to be disabled and unable to move or walk on his own. He clutched the crook of his father’s arm and slowly they made their way out of the ride to enjoy the rest of the park.
There, in blistering heat, I watched the work of love.
“Rob, can you imagine the day to day of such a relationship?” I said. “Oh my.”
Today is Labor Day. I know that I know many of you have difficult “works of love” in your own day to day.
We all do, at one point or another, on our life’s map.
My prayer today is that you will receive MORE LOVE from a Heavenly Father who knows all about the work of love.
He sees and He knows.
A Prayer for More Love
Dear God,
Sometimes the work of love becomes too much to bear.
So I ask that you, the Author of Love, give more love where love is needed.
Sometimes our love tanks hit empty and need to be refilled.
We need Your love.
Love that endures.
Love that perseveres.
Love that never fails.
Amen.