For my wife Lori, a clumsy effort to understand appreciate the depth of her love for us: my children and I.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. My wife speaks only with love so when I listen carefully, I only hear sweetness that echoes the songs of angels. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. She has love so she is given insight into the gifts of prophecy, all mysteries and all knowledge that she shares with me that I can see beyond my limitations. She has love – that makes her my everything.
If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. She has love and gains everything from all that she gives of herself. Her love is patient, her love is kind. Her love is not jealous and is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Her love always rejoices with the truth regardless where knowledge of the truth comes from.
Her love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Her love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. These things will never come to pass because she has love, has always loved and always will love.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. She leads me to perfection with her love for me. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish thing. I struggle with this but I am guided toward fullness through her love, assistance, example and encouragement. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. I trust that what she sees now and shares with me gives me clearer understanding. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. She leads me towards that knowing. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Her love for me and for our children is abiding and supported by faith with a depth that is beyond reason and by hope that knows no limits.
She is love and I am blessed to be her husband.
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