Love. We love a lot of things. We love the weather; we love fast cars; we love movies and music; we love things. But we also love people. This time of year, this word is thrown around like a baseball during the World Series. Pop flies, home runs, line drives and strike outs - they’re all here and accounted for. But what affect does this word have on us that it can make or break you? It’s not an affirmative result on a cancer-detecting scan or a winning lottery ticket in your pocket, yet this word can make you sad, make you smile, laugh out loud or fall to the floor in tears.
It’s this word that makes men scramble at the last minute, wondering what to get that special woman. A box of chocolates? Bouquet of roses? A romantic night of surprises? It’s the word that throws some women in a crazy frenzy of social disorders, but makes others dote over it as if it were a newborn baby in the summer.
To say you love someone can mean different things to different people. Some think of it as a romantic gesture to only be said once the relationship has progressed to a deeper level of commitment. In the seemingly never-ending search for romantic love, people who date all too often look at the outside. If a person does not suit your physical ideals, they get written off without a chance to show you the person they are. In 1 Samuel chapter 16 verse 7, God is talking to Samuel and tells him how man notices the appearance of a person, but God looks at the heart. Why can’t we be more like God? Others I’ve seen say it all the time to everyone. To them, they want the world to know that this person is special to them, whether it is a friend, family, or partner. They're the ones with all the hearts and ily and <3 all over the place. I never did care too much for those people, but maybe I should be more like them. After all, aren’t we supposed to love our neighbors like we do ourselves?
It’s recently come to my attention that I don’t use this word as much as the people around me. Sure, I love things: the rain, driving down a gravel road, a shoe sale at Macy’s, and anything that comes out of my grandmother’s kitchen. But as for telling people “I love you,” I rarely do, whether it is in a familial, platonic or romantic setting. My speechlessness in this regard shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of a heart (which I still question from time to time), but understood as a longing for actions to speak louder than words. To me, “I love you” is a gesture rather than a proclamation. It’s being there when a friend calls in the dead of night for someone to talk to. It’s making someone laugh who hasn’t smiled in days. It’s my 2 and a half year old niece running toward me with her arms outstretched, knowing I’ll squat down for her to give me the biggest hug ever. Then she kisses my cheek and says “luhh you Chul” (That translates to “I love you, Rachel” for those of you who don’t speak Anna). Oh yeah, I love hugs too. I say those three words with baked goods and hugs so don’t feel offended if all you get out of me is a grunt of some sort. But, if I say that I love you too, you should know you’re extra special.
So at this time of year, let’s remember that we can experience love because He first loved us. And bear in mind that people show love in different ways. Some with words, some with candy, some with big stuffed animals, and some by just turning off ESPN to ask about your day (ok, that doesn’t happen). No matter how you show you’re your love, let it shine! You never know when someone needs to know how you feel. And by the way, I < 3 you.
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