Reflection
I've been using the Moravian Daily Texts, as published by Mount Carmel Ministries, in my daily prayer life. Today's New Testament reading was 1 Corinthians 13:5. I've never read any part of 1 Corinthians 13 without all the rest of it. This simple statement was incredibly powerful to me today. "Love is not rude. It does not insist on its own way." After reading it, I thought - wow, that's profound. And then I thought about it a little more. We typically read this chapter as "the love chapter" - it's read at weddings all the time. How appropriate we say! That's what God has in mind for the perfect marriage - and whenever we're struggling, we can read it and remind ourselves of just how much work love is ... and what love actually means. But here's the thing - not only does God love us, but God is Love. So if God is Love, then the verse really reads: God is not rude. God does not insist on God's own way. Introduce the concept of free well. God has given us free will because God is Love - and Love does not insist on its own way. Love allows the other to make choices, even when they may hurt us or someone else. Love may not agree with our choice, but Love sticks with us despite the choice. And if we fall because of the choice we make, Love is right there to pick us back up. My Mom has this whole Love thing down - she has always allowed us to make our own decisions, from the time we were old enough to understand what a decision was. She always helped us see both sides, but then allowed us to "do it our way". She never left our side though - I know there are countless decisions I made that she didn't agree with, but she always supported my decision. And then, when I fell, she was there to hug me, to pick me back up, and to say "that's okay - now you can make a different decision." I wonder if she knows how much she has shaped my understanding of God - I guess I need to share that with her one day soon :)