Glorious Fountain

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV). There has only been one time in our nearly 43 years that Mary and I were apart for an extended period of time. Just before the twins were born, Mary went to help while Brandy was in the hospital for nearly 16 weeks. It was a tremendous learning experience. At least one of the things I have learned is that there are many things I have taken for granted that she does that simply don’t get done very well without her! Those memories drew me to the subject for today. Long-lasting marriages, the "'till death do us part" ones, are not as common as they once were. In our current culture, we have grown so used to the fast pace and everything being easily obtained, it has become as easy as tossing a broken toy to the wayside when it breaks, rather than trying to repair it? Has love lost so much value that it can now be boiled down to a few laughs, shared memories, and the temporary thrill of passion? Is this all love is, or is there something more? The Lord has already told us exactly what love is. Why on earth would our Maker tell us how to recognize true love? I mean, after all, it is one of the most basic emotions, isn't it? Do we really need God to tell us something we should already know? Once again the answer seems obvious. Just look at the divorce rate and the statistics on teen pregnancies, spousal abuse, and abortion. Turn on the television and it's almost impossible to avoid some soap opera or talk show where we aren't being exposed to some degree of boastful bed-hopping. The Apostle Paul tells us about the true nature and character of love in our reading this morning. Notice there is no mention of romance, passion, or physical pleasures. While such things as a candle-lit dinner, long walks on the beach, or a warm embrace may be some of the ways we express and communicate love. They do not represent love in and of themselves. Love that has been injured needs time and great care to mend. When we have a cut or scrape to our knee, do we rub dirt in it? No, we cleanse it and assist it back to health. So, too, does our Heavenly Father desire us to care for and nurture love so that we can live a more joyous life. In like manner, God is the great healer and mender of hurting souls. All we need to do is call on Him and He is faithful, not only to answer, but to offer us His undying and eternal love. James Russell Lowell said it so well: "Glorious fountain! Let my heart be fresh, changeful, constant, Upward, like Thee!" Could that be your prayer today?