Love is Patient

Today I met up with Nicole for dinner and then we went to the little King's Harbor Church for a time of worship and reflection led by Bryan Johnson, our bible study leader. We read over the "Love" chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. It reads:

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
it does not keep record of wrongs,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all thihngs, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails;
...
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

I'm sure it is fitting to think of this chapter during the Valentine's Day period, but it popped into my head this morning during my quiet time as well. I was deeply grieved because I know how far from this I really am. That is something that Bryan mentioned and reminded us all that this passage is impossible...but with God all things are possible. And that it also shows us the characteristics of God Himself.

When we were in a time of prayer I kept thinking about when I went to St. John with some friends a few years ago. We had decided to go snorkeling and so several of us swam to the tip of the bay entry to explore the sea life. When we were done we all swam back--separately.

I challenged myself to get back first--mainly because I had gotten a sun burn the previous day and I could feel the heat on my skin. Even though I had flippers the land seemed so far away.

I put my head down and went on my way, powerful strokes were given towards my quest at times, and other times I had to slow my pace and look up to see how far I'd come. In my Christian walk, I sometimes feel as if I don't gain any ground and other times I feel that I am farther behind nowadays than I was 7 or 10 years ago!

My goal is the shore and I am ever-toiling towards it. I want to succeed, but it seems impossible. If only I would stop and look up! I would find Jesus in a boat next to me, waiting to lift me in and help guide me to the shore.