My Valentine & Unfailing Love

This Valentine’s Day is a little different.  Rob is far away in a foreign country on a mission trip, and I’m missing him terribly.

But my romantic, loving husband didn’t forget about me on Valentine’s Day.  He sent these to the office on Friday:

 

They even had my favorite flowers –Gerbera Daisies. 

But he stole my heart with the sweet card:

I miss him so much.  I was asked to share our story Saturday night at a church.  It was hard because it was the first time I had shared about Faith without Rob there.  But, my Mom is the best in the world.  She went with me instead.

While I was praying and asking God what he would have me speak on, He laid the message of unfailing love on my heart.

Our journey with Faith was written with the love of many, but most importantly our Savior.

In life, we find that we love many people in many different ways.  As parents, we love our children more than words can explain.  We loved Faith with all of our heart, but our love wasn’t enough to keep her here.  Jesus loved her more than we ever could, and He knew what was best for her. 

We have a love for our friends.  I am blessed beyond measure to have a couple of very dear friends who’s love is unfailing.  But there have been friends who have let me down.  And I have let others down as well.  We are human, and we mess up.  This kind of love fails at one time or another.

We love our spouses.  That is a love that comes from the depths of our souls.  When we were on the other side of our journey, we believed that NOTHING would tear us apart.  There was no way our love for one another could fail.  But it did, momentarily.  Satan couldn’t stand that God got the glory for the life of our daughter, so he went after our marriage.  He succeeded for a time, but because of Jesus Christ, we were able to realize that His plan was not for our marriage to end.  Through His strength, we were able to pick up the pieces and love one another with a stronger-than-ever kind of love. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

That is a tall order for a love to fulfill.  As Christians, we are instructed to love in this way.  But there is only ONE who loves in this way at all times.  The only unfailing love is Jesus Christ.  He loved us so much that He paid the price on the cross for our sins. 

Losing my daughter was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.  But I can say that if given the choice, there is NO ONE that I love so much as to sacrifice my child.  We can’t fully grasp the kind of love that Jesus gives, because we cannot offer it.  We do not deserve it, but He has given to us freely.

I am so thankful for all of the love I have in my life.  My friends, my family, my children, my church.  I am truly blessed.  But the greatest blessing of all is the love of Jesus. 

Fall in love with Jesus.  He will never let you down.