13 February 2014

how do I love?

Valentines Day draws close.
A gift for my husband is hidden until tomorrow.
I will cook with extra attention.
Perhaps we will share a bottle of white zinfandel with dinner.
We will celebrate the one that God created out of two.
We will speak words of love.

What is this love?
For many schooled in literature or poetry
the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning come to mind:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I can't get past this opening line.
How?  How do I love?
How do I love my husband
my family, my friends
how even do I love myself?

How do I participate in this most impossible and supernatural of acts?
How does a heart, once hard, terrified
shattered by pebbles, stones, boulders thrown
trust enough to risk?
How does such a heart
continue to crack, allowing light to spill in
and compassion to bleed out?

How does what was broken
still bend into the shape of love?
The questions swirl and rush
but a quiet voice trembles clear
louder than the noise.

Only because I Did.  
Only because I Will.
Only because I Am.

And in the freshening calm, I remember.

We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. 
First we were loved, now we love. 
He loved us first. 





 jamming with Bonnie



Velvet Ashes: encouragement for women serving overseas

and at The Grove with Velvet Ashes

 

7 comments:

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

This is lovely--and thought provoking--how do we love and why and how do we learn--

Elizabeth Legendre said...

I'm popping in from over at The Grove and I just wanted to say that this is beautiful. Thank you for such inspiring and beautiful words!

tinuviel said...

Yes! It is so important that we look to God's love on Valentine's Day and always. May He continue to restore that broken and battered heart and set it free to love and risk after His pattern.

You linked up ahead of me at Faith Jam today. A most blessed Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Unknown said...

This is beautiful! Your words and their truth do bring a freshening calm. So glad you shared with us at The Grove!

Unknown said...

What I love about this is that feelings are only a piece of love. Paul showed how "manically verb centered" love is -- to borrow a phrase I read :). I'm here from the Grove too.

Jody Lee Collins said...

"How do we love?" indeed. Only because He did. Lovely, Karin. Happy day of heart felt feelings to you.

Jennifer Dougan said...

Hi Firefly,

"He loved us first"! Isn't that the best news?!

Have a great week,
Jennifer Dougan
www.jenniferdougan.com