“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”(John 13:34-35)
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 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, [adult] I put the ways of childhood behind me. 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.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13)
There is much said about love. But, what do I understand about this love as penned by the Apostle Paul. Not sure just how much he really knew at the time of his writing from his ending of his beautiful words. You might be asking why would I have a thought like that since it’s from the revered Apostle Paul?
My reason was how he left us thinking; “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.” And, then he double stamps my thinking with; “faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
I’m left staring in a dimly lite mirror at my self and maybe my view of myself might be a little brighter light if I put my glasses on. Standing in this frame where do I find love and define love?
I thought about my pendant above. I have just celebrated a Birthday with lots of joy and happiness flowing from family and friends as they lavished me with wishes and gifts. I felt and feel very blessed to be having a birthday and seen and loved by many lovely ones.
I received in the mail this photo pendant wrapped in beauty, and a hand painted card just for me by the artist being the giver. As well as words of beauty and encouragement penned by the giver.
Just a tiny back story about the giver and myself. We have known one another for over 50 years. The first half of the 50 living in the same city and surrounded my daily connections. Lots of wonderful memories from those days. Then in the midst of living life we were going in different directions as well as locations. Time past and we would still hear about one another from time to time. Then one day a couple of years ago we were in touch again by phone but mostly internet. This was truly a nice gift to share moments of encouragement with one another again. We have grow children with the title Grandma thrown in.
She recently suffered some serious health issues and with age it made it a bit more difficult for her. Yet, and this being that, YET! Love was light! I was struggling to find ways I could be of help to her as she lived alone. It would not be easy to get to her because of distance. As I was searching to find ways to help I received a package in the mail from her with a personal card. It was a week before my Birthday. I was stunned how did she get to the PO to get this mailed? My email had a tracking number with her message, “I got to the PO in this hot heat and now home.” You can imagine my thoughts, how did she do this and why did she do it when I understood she was hardly able to get out of bed.
She had purchased this a few months before from a special store in Amsterdam where she had visited on one of her trips. She had worked with an artist there to make sure it was right for me and to show what my life has meant to her, and her being an artist, wanted to express her love through art of a beautiful flower. My emotions seem to be like a ship at sea with high winds. I had no idea that she would be thinking of me like this. She wrote;
“A living flower Pendant is not meant to open since a real flower was sealed into it.”
Paul’s words began to have new meaning for me. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
Psalm 90:17 ESV
Notes for this verse. Psalm 90:17 “is a prayer asking for God’s grace and approval to bring lasting value to human efforts. It acts as a reminder that without God’s blessing, our labor is temporary and in vain, but with His favor, our everyday work gains eternal purpose and stability.”
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman
Love is LIGHT! God said, let there be light and there was light!
thedailylily.com 
What a beautiful pendant and photo of it and the story you told, Sara, of the love expressed behind it, “and her being an artist, wanted to express her love through art of a beautiful flower.”
Sara writes, “Love is LIGHT! God said, let there be light and there was light!” Looking at the pendant, it seems as if the flower sits in a setting of light…and will always.
As I read this blog and these words of Sara’s, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”, and “I’m left staring in a dimly lite mirror at my self and maybe my view of myself might be a little brighter light if I put my glasses on. Standing in this frame where do I find love and define love”, I thought of some of her other words and work from years ago.
She penned a book used for one of her many retreats called, “Designs of One’s Heart, The Four Seasons”. Each season chapter was introduced with a word written in Chinese and a scripture. The chapter, “Winter Season” had bold letters that said “LOVE”. The scripture was, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 52:10”. One main thing I recalled from this chapter was that it was about a season of reflecting…looking into a pool of reflection to see which flower you see …meaning “what kind of person are you? What is your true character.” One of the scriptures Sara used was from Proverbs 27:19 and 21.
I think this relates to what we see in Sara’s blog regarding love and the character of the giver and what the giver artist was expressing to Sara in her deeds, “She had worked with an artist there to make sure it was right for me and to show what my life has meant to her, and her being an artist, wanted to express her love through art of a beautiful flower.”
Thank you for sharing this blog with us, Sara!
Debi, thanks for sharing snippets of a reflective spiritual retreat where reflection was a way of finding our individual gift given just to each of us to be part of the whole.
“I think your retreat scripture “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19 ESV
and herein lies the truth og Thirman’s quote.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman
The giver of the pendant, with her health issues, struggles, etc. etc, gave and gave from the heart despite all this. It reminded me of the widow’s mite example that Jesus told about in Mark 12:42-44:
“Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
Debi, the back story to your “poor” widow” tells the story of what I call ‘heartless ones’ as described below which is the verses before the ones you gave.
“And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”” Mark 12:38-40 ESV
I find it so interesting how Jesus noticed the contrast and taught us to use wisdom. Love has action and light!
I like the poor widow being nameless telling me to focus on the deed not the lady!
The title above says: “Love one another says Jesus; but HOW?” The footnotes for first Corinthians 13: 4-7 (NIV) may give us some help on HOW?…..”Our society, confuses, love and lust. Unlike lust, God‘s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love, unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. Thus, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.” 🙏
Beautiful necklace above 🫶🏻
“It is impossible to have this love, unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return.” (From Tammy’s footnotes)
James Talarico, of Texas running for US senate seat is talking as if he was tunning for a Global position. He is an “authentic Christian” that is my words because he seems to remind me of what it might be like if Jesus physically walked into the room. We pretty much know what that would look like because the NT tells us.
I must say I am constantly seeking James Talarico out to listen because it seems like everybody wants to get in on an opinion of him. I would say he fits perfectly in the footnotes of good that Tammy has shared.
I heard him once when opposition tried to say things contrary to the teachings of Jesus when they were trying to intimated him. Mr TALARICO said I’m from Texas and around here “them are some fighting words’”
This is how I feel about the footnotes. “Them are so fighting words.” I think the Apostle Paul understood as well when he said;
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” Romans 7:15-20 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.7.15-20.NKJV
Tammy, you wrote from your footnotes, “Unlike lust, God‘s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish.”
The first thought that came to my mind was of the one of Sara’s retreats that you and I (among others) had the privilege of attending. It was “Throwing Your Light Forward” where we were encouraged to shine Light forward for others.
And what Tammy wrote above reminded me of something she wrote in the blog,
“In the garden-Blind but now I see! Seeing but now I’m blind?”
She asked, “Help me remember……… didn’t Jesus say that He came not to be served but to serve? “
And Sara’s response to this question was, “Yes, Tammy, seems you remembered correctly. Jesus said, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)”.
I think these questions and comments also help us understand, “Love one another says Jesus; but HOW?”
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbS7cDQxR7S/?igsh=MXRmdGdoZ3dwY3I=
I thought Dr Z has a great min teaching on love!
“I thought Dr Z has a great min teaching on love!”.
I agree, Sara! Thank you for sharing this.