Love

I woke up this morning with this thought: Today, I just want to Love. Life seemed more simplified when I broke down all I have to do and all the places I have to be in one simple word: Love.

For some reason, the last few months have felt revved up, filled with a million and one things to do, filled to the brim with very little time left for down-time with my husband, friends, let alone having time by myself. I'm not complaining in the least, because lucky for me, I love being surrounded by friends and being on the move. My days have been so busy, in fact, that I felt the most relaxed when going to work. 'Finally, a day off!' I would think. And that, my friend, is crazy. Do you know what I do? I work with troubled, angry, defiant, at-risk youth all day long. And I love it... but it's not the most relaxing job.

The funniest part is that I am actually anti-busy minded. I've seen this world retreat into busy-ness as a means of escape from dealing with emotions and then also neglecting the people they love the most. More than anything, I don't want to become a person that is too busy for their family and loved ones.

Anyway, so when I woke up this morning thinking about Love, I felt relieved. It seemed attainable. I've been stuck on that song by Ginny Owens lately, the one that talks about 1 Corinthians 13. Not the "love is patient, love is kind" part, but the verses before that. In her song, she says:

I could travel over oceans, cross the deserts, climb the mountains just to share your story, bring you glory, and win souls for you. I could sing like an angel, songs so humble, and so thankful full of drama and emotion, so the world would know your truth. I could give away my money and my clothes and my food to restore those people who are poor and lost and down and out. I could succeed at all these things, find favor with peasants and kinds, but if I do not love, I am nothing.
I could live a flawless life, never cheat or steal or lie, and always speak so kindly, smile so warmly, and go about doing good. I could dedicate myself to do what everyone else wants me to- listen to them, compliment them, say the things I should. I could show up every Sunday, lead the choir and bible study, and they all might come to know me as a leader and a friend. I could achieve success on earth but success could not define my worth, and all these actions, all these words, they will not matter in the end.
'Cause songs will fade to silence, stories, they will cease. The dust will settle, covering all my selfless deeds. So as I strive to serve You, won't you make it clear to me, that If I do not love, I am nothing.
If I cannot live my life loving my brother, then how can I love the One who lived His life for me?
Sent to earth from Heaven, humble servant, holy King, come to share a story, get no glory, and save my searching soul. You knew that I'd deny you, crucify you, but nothing could stop you from living for me, dying for me, so that I would know: songs will fade to silence, stories they will cease. The dust will settle covering all my selfless deeds. But your life has made it clear enough for me to see, that if I do not love, I am nothing.

Wow. Just... wow. It's so simple and so powerful, and usually so unattainable for me. Even while listening to this song in the car, I find myself experiencing small bouts of road rage at other drivers. How ridiculous is that! I need a big dose of Love and I need it daily.