Wednesday, April 16, 2014

SAFE



I've been trying to think of a good word to define love and the only word I can come up with is "safe".  There have been poems, letters, and declarations, proclaiming undying love, but trying to narrow it down to only one word is quite difficult.

Knowing that my husband loves me enough to avoid situations that would be compromising, makes me feel safe.  Knowing that he puts my comforts and desires above his own makes me feel safe.  Knowing that he would sacrifice his time, his wishes, and even his life for me makes me feel safe.  The right kind of love creates a safe place for the husband, for the wife, and for the children.

I can remember when the children were little, they would sometimes walk into a room and catch me and Tim kissing.  Immediately, we heard running footsteps, then whispers of "mommy and daddy are kissing!" and then, lots of giggles.  That was safety.  They not only knew mommy and daddy loved each other, but they also saw expressions of that love.

I recently told one of my sons that I wished that when they were little we had been financially able to take them places and have vacations all over the country.  He told me that they never missed out on anything because we had fun and made memories in spite of that.  And he was right.  We camped, made day trips to the lake, and had picnics in the middle of winter.  We had movie nights, weekends with extended families, and overnight parties with a houseful of loud, energetic, hungry boys.  They had fun with mom and dad and it didn't take lots of money to make those memories.

I think there is safety for them in knowing that we used our time, our imagination, and our love to make sure they were happy.  It's hard on children to grow up listening to arguments, hostilities, and anger at home, watching the facade of undying love in front of people, and then return
home to the chaos.  There is no safety for those children.  It's no wonder so many kids grow up with so many insecurities.  They need safety.

Children need the safety of knowing they are loved, knowing that mom and dad love each other, and knowing that their family is a safe place.  They don't need the best clothes, the latest electronics, to be popular, or to have everything they want.  They need love.  They need to feel safe.
It's not a difficult thing to do if there is love.  It's not difficult to give, to sacrifice, to say kind words, to hold hands, to smile if you feel safe...if you feel loved.

And isn't this what Christ did for us?  He made us safe.  He rescued us from harm, he loved us unconditionally, he sacrificed all, and he did it all because of love.

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.

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