that thing called LOVE

I'm learning that the adage that "those whom you love the most, stand to hurt you the most" rings pretty true.

After all, isn't it true that in loving others, most of us do expect to be loved back?

...that we quietly harbour hopes that our acts of generosity and kindness would be reciprocated by their recipients?

...that when we loosen our guard and reveal more of our hidden selves that we wish the ones so priviledged to be given our trust would perhaps do likewise?

Isn't it true that perhaps the deepest, most primal ache of our hearts...is to love and to be loved back in return?

With these thoughts, I read the Bible's 'Love Chapter', 1 Corinthians 13 again tonight. And I was reminded once again, but at a much more personal level that...

...love is not jealous
...love does not seek its own
...love does not take into account a wrong suffered
...love bears all things
...love believes all things
...love endures all things
...love never fails

Man, do we so easily stray from these ideals of what love should be, henceforth causing so much heartbreak to ourselves and those that we love! We heap all kinds of expectations on others just as they probably do towards us!

While I believe we should strive towards the love 'standards' of 1 Cor 13, in realising that we (including our loved ones who would inevitably disappoint us from time to time) will never fully attain these standards until Kingdom come, let us look onward to Christ Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of love; the One who selflessly loved us with an unfailing love that endured even the cross with its scorn and shame...

A love that will remain steadfast through the ages.

Amen.

meditations from the psalms

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him,
my Saviour and my God.

- Psalm 42:12

no brainer

I had a really good time tonight =)

There is something uniquely appealing about playing ridiculous arcade games that don't require one to put in much brain sense. All is required is a simple wave of a hand, frantic twists, turns and whacks on two awkwardly-shaped joysticks, a passion for trigger-happy bliss, strength to sustain (and inflict) body shoves from (to) your opponent, and a fist ready for a punching bag.

I reckon it was the panacea that I needed this week.

Let's do it again! Haha!

help

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

- Psalm 121:1-2

emo alert

Sometimes, we all reach a point where the best thing that we can afford to say is "I don't know".

"I don't know". It's funny how three short words can at once invoke feelings of despair - when we realise we don't have all the answers we are looking for; and yet freedom - when we are drawn back to the reality that not knowing all the answers is really the essence of our human frailty, and therefore that we are truly free to "not know".

Today, too many questions abound and I'm tired of thinking up even more. I want to tell you now that I simply don't know...what to do, what to say, what to think, whatever...

I just don't know, really.