What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Something That We Do!
Congratulations
to Angela and Jason who have joined their lives together today (May 19, 2012) in the sacrament
of marriage. May they always be aware of
God’s love and blessings for them, and may their love for each other continue to
grow and deepen every day of their lives.
Here are
examples of two very different experiences of love. “What’s
Love Got to Do With It,” is a song of lament by Tina Turner about her
failed love with her abusive husband Ike Turner. “Something
That We Do”, is a song of love by country singer Clint Black celebrating 21
years of married love with his actress wife Lisa Hartman.
The word "love"
has to be one of the most unusual and at times confusing and inadequate words
in our English language! It is
supposedly packed with meaning, yet it seems inadequate when we really want to
say something meaningful. Some dictionaries list as many as twenty-five meanings
for the word ‘love’ and we're apt to use them all in our every day
conversation. In one sentence we may say, "I love my spouse so much,"
and then in the next sentence say, "I really love fried chicken!”
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
LOVING AND BEING "IN LOVE"
The
"in-love" experience
The truth is that marriage, at the start is an empty box. “This box contains the love of our marriage”
You must put something in before you can take anything out.
What will you put in your box?
Things you DO!
Learn the art and form the habits of: Giving, Praising, Serving, and closely Holding on to each other,
There is no love in marriage, love is only in people.
There is no romance in marriage. People have to infuse romance into their marriage.
“A
couple must learn the art
and
form the habit of giving,
loving,
serving, praising –
keeping
the box full.
If
you take out more than you put in,
the
box will be empty."
- Dr. J.
Allen Peterson.
OKAY, REALLY, WHAT IS LOVE?
Love
is certain, love is kind
Love
is yours and love is mine
But
it isn't something that we find
It's
something that we do. *
It seeks the best
interests of the one you love. (Ephesians
5:25-28)
Love one another as Christ loves the Church.
It requires constant
effort.
(Hebrews 13:1). “Let mutual love continue.”
Love sacrifices. (Ephesians 4:1) ". . .” the
active character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily
giving not receiving." - Erich Fromm
Love forbears (Ephesians 4:2). "Answering the
call to love demands much courage and determination because self-exposure
always involves the risk of being seriously hurt." - John Powell. The Secret of Staying in Love.
HOW IS LOVE SUSTAINED?
The way we work together
is what sets our love apart,
so closely that you can't tell,
where I end and where you start.
We're on a road that has no end,
And each day we begin again,
Love's not just something that we're in,
It's something that we do.
There's no request too big or small,
we give ourselves, we give our all,
Love isn't someplace that we fall.
It's something
that we do. *
* Lyrics from “Something That We Do.” By Clint BlackMarriage needs more than just an "in-love" experience, here are a few simple suggestions to develop and sustain a “real love” experience in marriage:
1. Love unselfishly. (1
Corinthians 13:3)
2. Love unconditionally. (Romans
5:8)
3. Love self-sacrificingly. (Matthew
16:24)
4. Love beyond your feelings. (John
13:1)
5. Love always. (2
Corinthians 5:10)
Love, it's something that we do!
IT’S THE ‘LITTLE’
THINGS
People who are successful at
whatever they do reach their objectives by a series of the “little things” they do
every day. If you do the little things on a daily basis, they will make big
differences in your relationship with your spouse.
Begin
today: - SPOIL each other.
- Express APPRECIATION.
- Know when to APOLOGIZE.
- Take TIME out.
- Know that GIFTS do matter.
- CELEBRATE the good
times.
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