Daily Delight

The number of Bridesmaids dresses in my closest keeps inching towards 27 dresses level. I’ve hit the first wave of weddings as a 20-something and have truly reveled in every minute, I’m here for it. The dreamy venues, the details in the decor, handwritten vows, the celebration of love, the smiles on faces of friends and family. At some weddings, scripture is read. It’s become as easy as a Pinterest quote to recite what happens next; “love is patient, love is kind, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

I still smile during these recitations, but sometimes with repetition comes a reluctance to go deeper. The last time I heard these words, I wondered if I was understanding the meaning.

I have gotten so used to hearing 1 Corinthians 13 start at verse 4, that I forgot what happened prior to Love is Kind.

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV).

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, which is followed with a reminder, a crucial reminder. A reminder of the power and promise of the love that is greater than all, that is the base from which we are made ready to encounter the Holy Spirit. The reminder of not just love, but the love of God. In 1 Corinthians 13 the Greek word that translates to “love” in, “If I do not have love,” is agape, meaning the divine love of God. It goes beyond love on the physical level, it goes beyond love on the emotional level.  

When we don’t have agape, when we don’t know selfless unconditional love, we gain nothing. Life is a mystery, it’s a daily commitment to release earthly expectations and embrace the unknown. We are unbecoming what we thought we were supposed to be and letting God show us a new way where His love will never fail or disappoint. It’s a new kind of hope and I’m here for it, just like a wedding, I’m here to revel in every minute.  

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Photo: @dreacoci