You too, Mei Mei. And let's never forget my amazing Popo as well.
I don't know how anyone else would define the concept of love, or maybe I do. I know what it is they say about finding your soulmate or life partner, whichever way you want to put it and having the grand opportunity to spend the rest of your life with him or her. This message has been advocated over and over, millions of times now and again. Find someone special and you find love. Embrace the ecstasy, get comfortable, fight over a million incompatibilities and see if the entirety of this endeavor has been worth anything at all. But really, I refuse to believe that it is the only basis of love that deserves recognition.
To put my stance forward, love to me is the lengths anyone would go to put the other person first before themselves. If I recall accurately of my studies in interpersonal communication, this sort of love is known to be agape love. It's described as this godlike love, unachievable by human standards and immeasurable to the great sacrifices made by the enlightened and the divine. Yet, I refuse to believe that it cannot be fathomed by humanity nor do I condone any explicable or inexplicable reason anyone should give in order not to attempt its achievement. Perhaps my faith has risen to greater heights and many more cannot fathom let alone accept my stand, as I say this out of a recently birthed perspective.
And this, unconditional, sacrificial love, is the one I speak of when I refer to my family. It may seem inadequate for someone like me to preach something I have failed to practice for the past eighteen years of my life, but I do know what I am talking about. Having chased after the allure of romantic relationships and the seemingly blissful prospect of receiving attention from a member of the opposite sex years before this, I am very likely speaking the truth of my enlightenment on the subject as I carefully craft this paragraph. I have recently begun to question how far a distance I would go to put my family first before me and in this, to obey the Heavenly Father. I have imagined the worst misfortune that I feel could ever befall upon my family, and asked myself what I would do if such a situation occurred. I have even made mental deductions to the probabilities of their occurring and have somewhat mentally begun to arm myself so as to ward of the pains of the unexpected. I won't deny on this one, it's paranoia alright.
But I know that this is not the way. This is what manifests when I rely upon my own strength. This is what occurs when I choose to dwell on the negative than the positive. God never intended for anyone to live in despair upon encountering fears as He says in 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
So you see it there, my dear readers. Of power and love and self-control. I'm currently working on the last bit of that phrase, but that's another story. My point is, love. God gave us a spirit of love. He also clearly states in Romans 8:28 this - "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." God has been gracious to me, and merciful. He has shown me so much in the course of almost a year, and I am so grateful that He has. I've had to endure many spiritual hardships, many of those I sometimes do not see other believers undertaking. Perhaps it is my ignorance, or simply, my test to undertake. But I pull through on a number of occasions, and I know that it was through Him, not me.
Anyway, back to love, guys. So what of it do I find so enlightening that it has led to this recorded train of thought? Well, in 1 John 4:18 it says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." And that's that. Love destroys all fear. Someday I may have to make that sacrifice for my family. I may have to give up on some of my own dreams, such as that of going to the States, of giving a TED talk in California and even possibly the winning of a Nobel Prize. But what is all this if I don't have family? What will I make of life without the love and care of my most faithful supporters in this endurance race of making salvation worthwhile and pursuing godliness? Who can I share my joy with if not the very people who have worked so hard, who have prayed so eagerly and loved Him so faithfully all in accompaniment to my achievement of success?
And so I will, when I have to. I may have to give up everything someday because of love. But when I do, I will commit everything to Him, FEARLESSLY and UNCONDITIONALLY.
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