There was once a newly married couple. It wasn’t long after their wedding that they began to get on each other’s nerves with all the petty things – he didn’t pick up his clothes off the floor. She never took the trash out, and on and on. They began to find themselves fighting all the time.  So, to settle things, they created a box that instead of saying anything they would write down the things that bothered them. At the end of the week, it was agreed that they would open the box and talk about their grievances.  When the end of the week came, they opened the box.  He began to read each slip of paper, one-by-one all the things that he did wrong that upset her. Then it became her turn…With each slip of paper, she read, “I forgive you.”

Who, do you think, demonstrated true love?

In Corinthians 13:1-13, is the famous verses that are so often read at weddings. “Love is patient, love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth…”  What if, you put your name in place of the words, “Love and it.”  For example, I will use my name:

Terri is patient, Terri is kind; Terri is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  Terri does not insist on her own way; Terri is not irritable or resentful; Terri does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth…

Wow!  This becomes ‘really’ powerful and gives each of us a new understanding of how we are to treat each other!  However, I would like to add one:

LOVE IS FORGIVING!  Because I believe, the greatest thing about love is when we receive forgiveness knowing that we have not done anything to deserve it.  For me, that is the true meaning of love that covers all the bases.

Let us pray…Gracious God, You have forgiven us when we have never done anything to be forgiven.  Help us to love others just as you have loved us…By forgiving us for our wrongdoings.  This we pray in your name, Amen.