Bigger Picture Moments: Love Is A Fast Song

Bigger Picture Blogs is celebrating their second birthday and, as part of the birthday celebration, has paired up several bloggers for a fun Bigger Picture Moments collaboration.   I can't say enough about the inspiration and encouragement Bigger Picture Blogs and the community that rallied around it has meant to me.  It has challenged my writing, refocused my perspective, and given me purpose and confidence in my writing.  It has played a huge part in shaping who I am and what this little space is today.  And the women that are part of this community are all sorts of wonderful - real, genuine, and inspiring women who are not afraid to write about the ups and downs of life and encourage each other on the journey. 

Kelli of Adventurez in Child Rearing and I were paired up and given a writing prompt for today's post: Love Is A Fast Song by Copeland.  I was skeptical at first remembering the dreaded group projects of grade school and college, but was surprised at how fun it was to collaborate my writing with another sweet blogger, making a new friend along the way.  As Kelli and I read through the song lyrics, we couldn't help thinking of the beautiful love stories unfolding in our own lives, the love between the people who matter most to us.  This post is about that love, the real, true, exciting, and overwhelming love that can only be written by the Creator God who holds all things together.

(Note: My words are typed in bold font and Kelli's words are typed in regular font.)

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.

(Colossians 1:16-18)

 Photo credit: Kelli Becton

Listening to my son's tears, his pleas for daddy, and the hiccups that come between tears. My love, this man who so beautifully embraces his role as daddy, walks over, for one "last one", a gentle hug, a whisper of love, and a little boy who loves his daddy so.

Although the years pass quickly by not slowing near enough – we walk together you and I throughout the ebb and flow. Two hearts as one - old fashioned love that dares not put self first – a picture of the Father’s love and He who gave it all.

And one by one the blessings come . . .

Some days love is a slow song, carefully rocking little ones to sleep, sleepless nights drying nightmare's tears and calming little ones' fears...

And then a little one wraps his fingers around your heart and all too soon love is a fast song, sweeping you off your feet, rocking you back and forth, dancing to the beat of a love so strong and a love so sweet.

The ebb and flow of love that grows as time- quick -

marches on; a picture of the Father’s love which cannot be undone. 

Linking up over at Hyacynth's for this week's Bigger Picture Moments and the birthday celebration!



 

Love Like Him: What Is Love?

What is love?  The media bombards us day in and day out with messages of products we will love and how to love ourselves and that happily ever after comes when we fall in love.  But that product we love makes our skin break out or costs more than it was really worth, loving self leads too easily to selfishness, hopeless pride, and, ultimately, loneliness, and happily ever after ends with the words "I just don't love you anymore". 

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away." (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in response to several brief correspondences with them that revealed their corrupt behavior and self-centeredness.  They were lovers or self, putting much emphasis on their own individual gifts in order to bring glory to self.  So much emphasis was being placed on one specific gift that those in the church without it felt excluded.

Paul doesn't sugar coat his words in 1 Corinthians 12.  He speaks sternly, because he loves them and wants to see them grow in righteousness, to be found "guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:8).  He explains clearly that one gift is not more important or worthy than another, but that each person in the body of Christ is given specific and unique purposes by God Himself.  God assigns gifts not for self elevation but to build up the body of Christ and ultimately bring Him glory.

"And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 12:31b - 13:3 ESV)

The transition from chapter 12 is essential to understand the famous love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13.  While this passage is so often used at weddings, it is really about more than the love between a man and a woman.  Paul is writing these words to emphasize that real Christlike love is not self seeking at all.  Love is selfless and humbling, the kind of love that led the Word became flesh to humble Himself to the point of death on a cross, a death He didn't deserve, but a death that He freely accepted as the only way to show how much He truly loved His people.  

As I've let these truths sink in, I can't help but wonder at the kind of love that would lay down one's own life.  I know, in my humanity and the sinfulness of my own flesh, I am selfish.  I want fame and honor and recognition just as much as any other man.  But, as the words of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 so boldly explain, success or fortune or good works are meaningless and completely worthless without love.  He has given me specific and unique gifts, but if I don't first understand what it is to love like Him, they will simply turn up empty and void.  

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love." (John 15:9)


"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast what is good." (Romans 12:9)


"Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Don't forget the TWO giveaways featured on my blog right now: 

My Blog Spark: Cheerios Review & Giveaway (ends TODAY at 1:00 pm CST)
Virtual Mercy Party: Mercy House Review & Giveaway (ends Friday at 1:00 pm CST)