Well, at least for awhile. I'm sitting here after midnight, with a warm, purring cat in my arms as I type. He doesn't much like it when I move him around, but he'll put up with it to stay close. I just hug and kiss him and all is well in his world.
Isn't that just it? Sometimes that's all we need! It's not all that difficult, but we get awfully stingy with our affection for each other. I've never found it difficult to tell someone I love them. Because I honestly don't find it difficult to love people (alright, you caught me - there are a few that I find it very difficult to love ... and I leave them to God - they're His responsibility). But, God called me to love. A long time ago, He told me that was the biggest responsibility I had. So, I do!
I've had friends and past boyfriends who balked at using the words "I Love You". They had to 'feel' something to voice those words. Oh, for heaven's sake. Are you kidding me? Just release it. Don't make such a big deal out of it. Just love! Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are wrapped up in Love. Paul put a lot of effort into telling us what love looks like. And we spend lifetimes screwing it up. Love is actually pretty simple - we make a hash of it, though, don't we?
My parents weren't stingy with their love. Well, Dad wasn't at least. He was always telling us that he loved us. Carol and Jim don't have the same memory of mom that I do. I remember mom as very affectionate - they don't. It occurs to me now that she was responding to my affection. I have memories of sitting in her lap, snuggling up under a blanket on the couch with her, wrestling with her, hugging her, leaning on her in worship services, on and on ... Carol and Jim don't have those kinds of memories. I must have driven my poor mother nuts!
How would she have ever learned about affection, though? Her parents never showed it to her. We have a videotape of her as an infant. It was not her mother or father changing diapers, feeding her or playing with her ... it was a nurse! Grammy either loved her husband or her daughter, never both at the same time.
On the other hand, Dad came from a family that was quite affectionate. Grandma Greenwood was the epitome of a grandma. She loved all over the place. Every single movement that she made was done because of her love for someone and everyone. "I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck" were words that I heard from her all the time.
So ... Dad brought that incredible affection into our home and mom didn't. I picked it up from him and transferred it to her as well. Thank heavens. I can't imagine not loving my friends. I can't imagine not telling them that I loved them. Because, wow, I really do! It isn't possible for me to be stingy with love.
And puhleeze ... if Jesus Christ really resides in your heart, how can you? With Jesus in you ... you should be exuding his personality in combination with your own and there is no greater love than what He brought with Him to this earth.
If you haven't said those three words (I love you) to someone lately ... begin practicing. Tell your child or your pet. Tell your friend, your spouse, your parent. Tell people. And you know ... my father always told me "practice makes perfect".
Perfect love ... that's something to strive for!
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