I Love You
Saturday, February 14 at 1:09 p.m.
It's funny, but it seems that the older I grow, the harder it becomes to say those three words: I love you. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is because when you say those words, and really mean them, you leave yourself vulnerable, in the hands of the person you've said them to. What if they reject your love?

But that's not all. I find it harder and harder to even tell my family and friends that I love them. Strange, since I know that I really do. I have no problem saying that I love a piece of music, or a certain book. But a person? How hard it is.

I'm not handing out any advice here; I'm not qualified to do so. But I will leave you with a few things. The first is one of my favourite passages of scripture:

1 Corinthians 13
From The Message

The Way of Love
1If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.
3If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

4Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
5Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
6Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
7Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. 9We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. 10But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be cancelled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

The second is, of course, a song. I suppose some will disagree, but I think this is one of the greatest compliments you can pay to the one you love.

Jesus In Your Eyes
Julie Miller

Oh look at where we are
God has brought us both this far
We've been delivered by his hand
And brought to the place where we now stand
Love is patient love is kind
Love comes thru every time
Always protects, hopes and trusts
Keeps on believing and it never gives up

In my life I have seen so many things
But nothing has touched me so deep inside
As when I see Jesus in your eyes

In my heart I'm very sure
In his love ours will endure
Loving him by loving you
In serving Jesus, I will serve you too
For his glory we will live
He has given us love to give
I am with your heart and soul
Where ever He leads together we will go

In my life I have seen so many things
But nothing has touched me so deep inside
As when I see Jesus in your eyes
In your eyes

So, if that person in your life does pay you such a compliment, accept it gracefully - chances are, they really mean it. And, if you find yourself able to, tell those special people in your life that you love them as well. Because you know you do.
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