Humbled

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

...And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

-1 Chorinthians 13

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I started blogging to journal for Aila. I also wanted to be able to share photos with family and friends. I didn't really expect to make other blogging friends, but I have. It's fun. It's nice to see what is going on with these perfect strangers with whom you have nothing in common except a blog. You leave a comment here or there. You sort of get to know one another as you gain glimpses into their personal victories and struggles, their family life, their political opinions, their hopes for their children, their concerns, their joys.

The passage above is there because one of my deepest desires when interacting with others, is to portray a love that only God's Spirit can enable us to have.

I, personally, find it difficult to interact through typed word only. For me, the meaning of words is much more than their definition, but the tone behind them...the facial expressions accompanying them. It is my honest prayer to show this love through all of my interactions with others, and if I have failed in that, I'm truly sorry.

Aila, I pray that as you grow, you will learn to be sensitive to others...to carry a love for the world in your soul...a love that shines through in everything you do. I pray that you live 1 Chorinthians 13. I pray that you recognize that others can teach you, that you'll never stop learning, and that you always treat others gently and with respect, and (how can a mother pass up this opportunity?) if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!