"Love Suffers Long"

After doing yesterday's blog I felt as if I left something out, something important about our proper perspective. As I was praying about that this morning, I was reminded that our longing must be elsewhere; in other words, we are looking forward to the day when we are in His glory, and hearing the words "Well Done". Until then, we must press on, knowing that His return is very, very soon. Some things just can not be explained, at least not in a way that makes perfect sense; but, as I was praying wife my wife this morning, I could not help but wonder how she feels. Does she just lay there counting the minutes of the day? Is she just a prisoner in her own body? How many years??? Regardless of what I think or feel about what justifies life, and the quality of living, God has given me a love in my heart that goes beyond that. This is not about how I feel, or even about how Marianne feels; but this is about a work the God is doing in us, and in me especially. The term 'long-suffering' implies that there is something wrong which must be endured; to endure patiently as opposed to losing faith or giving up, and it involves putting up with things or circumstances. Holding my wife this morning, while praying for her, I began to ask God to heal every part of her; rubbing each part of her body as I asked God to heal that particular part; all the way down to her toes. In the process of that prayer, two things happened to be taking place: one, is the fact that I was affectionately touching my wife, and actually sensed that she was moved by it; the other, was the fact that I was moved by it. I could feel love flow through our bodies, as if there was a current of electricity pulsating back and forth. Then I realized again something of great importance; something that I have a tendency to forget or neglect to put at the forefront of my mind: She is still with me, and we are still one! Regardless of her condition, she is still here, and she needs me to treat her so. Which brings me to a point that I was stricken with yesterday: Love is a action; not a pillar or even a thought; but it requires movement in one way or another...Talk about putting things in proper perspective! "In this was manifested the Love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." (1 John 4:9)