Smile

“The real power of a man is the size of the smile of the woman sitting next to him.” (Anonymous)

Love originates in the character of God. We can love others, and show it through our actions because God loved us first. God loves you more than you can imagine. He loves you unconditionally regardless of what you've done.

For humans, love is messy and confusing. It's part of the human experience. We are made to desire and value love. What is genuine love supposed to look like? Love is unconditional affection with no limits or conditions (completely loving someone). It’s when you trust the other with your life, and when you would do anything for each other. When you love someone, you want them to be truly happy no matter what it takes because that’s how much you care about them. Their needs come before your own. You hide nothing of yourself because you know they accept you just the way you are.

When one considers the topic of love, each culture in the world has their own unique way to show they care for each other. There is one song that brilliantly describes the universal theme of love. It is Sandi Patty’s “Love in Any Language.” Read the lyrics below, and see if you can feel the love pouring out of this song?

Je t'aime
Te amo
Ya ti-bya lyu blyu
Ani o hev ot cha
I love you[i]

The sounds are all as different
As the lands from which they came
And though the words are all unique
Our hearts are still the same

Chorus:
Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And once we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here

We teach the young our differences
Yet look how we're the same
We love to laugh, to dream our dreams
We know the sting of pain

From Leningrad to Lexington
The farmer loves his land
And daddies all get misty-eyed
To give their daughter's hand

Oh maybe when we realize
How much there is to share
We'll find too much in common
To pretend it isn't there

Chorus:

Tho' the rhetoric of government
May keep us worlds apart
There's no misinterpreting
The language of the heart

Chorus:

Love can teach us valuable life lessons. Below are some of them:  

1.   Love cannot be defined Love is not something that you can put parameters around. Love is alive. You can’t incarcerate it no matter how hard you try. Love is not something that should be defined. It’s something that should be felt. Love is not meant to be tucked away. Love is meant to be given out. Let go of fear, and just love

 

2.   Love cannot be measured I’ve been told so many times to not give out too much love. How can you love, and not it give all? How can you feel something and hold back? Why torture yourself like that? Love cannot be measured because love never runs out. You can always love and care a little more.

 

3.   Love doesn’t mean that you lose yourself Most people are scared of love. Most parents fear the moment that their children will fall in love, and end up losing who they are. Love doesn’t do that. It changes you. You are still you no matter how much you give to someone. Your life outside of your relationships still exists because love is meant to be an extension of who you already are.

 

4.   Love is for everyone Don’t choose the people you give out love to. Everyone deserves love. It doesn’t matter who they are, or where they’ve been. Aren’t we all imperfect humans after all?

 

5.   Love means caring You can care through words, touch, and help. There is no standard to be followed when you love someone.

 

6.   Love means staying Love means staying no matter what the situation is. It doesn’t matter how mad, frustrated, or confused you are... Love sticks by you. It doesn’t leave you.

“One measure of friendship consists not in the number of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they need no longer mention.” (Clifton Fadiman)[ii]

Sandi Patty

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[i] “I love you” in French, Italian, Russian, Hebrew (man to man), and English languages.

 

[ii] Sources used:

·        “36 Definitions of Love, According To Urban Dictionary” by Marisa Donnelly

·        “6 Universal Truths about Love That Everyone Should Realize” by Sweet Serenity

·        “I Love You-21 Languages” by CelebrateLove.com

·        “What Does Real Love Look Like?” by First Lutheran Church

·        How to Say “I Love You” In 10 Languages by Katrin Sperling