Faith,  Life and Whatnot,  Marriage

WHAT IS LOVE?


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Heck, I love love. I even did a couple week long series on it Marriage Rocks and Valentines–Week of Love. I love talking about it, writing about it (I write paranormal romances even), and hearing real – life stories of people living it.

But what’s the definition of Love?

The dictionary says: an intense feeling of deep affection

If you type LOVE into the Bible online, or look in the concordance of the Bible, it’s got many references. My fav is: 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

Or the one commonly heard at weddings: 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV)

But what is it? An emotion? Or a choice?

I’ve heard both . . . What do you think?

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The one event, and most spectacular in my opinion, that demonstrates love as a choice was Jesus dying on the cross for us. That revelation kinda rocked my world in high school.

Back then I had long lost the idea of true love really even exisiting (broken home, angry teenager, teen-age turmoil……but that’s another post.)

The dictionary defines emotion as: a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

When I first met Charlie, sure, it started out as an emotion. You know, that sudden-loss-of-breath-when-he-walks-in-the-room-feeling . . . But that emotion soon morphed into a choice.

A choice to spend the rest of our lives together, even when circumstances and moods change . . . as we all know they can and will.

But yeah, the sudden-loss-of-breath-when-he-walks-in-the-room-feeling is still there too….So, my answer is BOTH!

~~~

So, what do you think love is?

Any great love stories to share?

~~~

5 Comments

  • Rosslyn

    I like your thoughts here.

    Most of all, I do believe love is a choice. That was the theme of our excellent wedding sermon, and I loved it.

    I laughed when the officiant said: “Why do we say “fall” in love? Because love is not falling off a tree limb, or falling into a black hole.”

  • Lynn Rush

    Nicely said, Billy!! Kat, I love your list. So true, so true. Gzusfreek, yeah, both, for sure. They kind of intertwine, don’t they?

    Thanks for stoppin’ by gang.

  • Kat

    Love is . . .a many splendored things

    a chemical reaction

    an unquenchable thirst

    an aching need

    a blinding disease

    a inextinguishable fire

    an unfillable need.

    Good post!

  • Billy Coffey

    I agree. It’s both.

    It begins with a feeling, I think. Like being drenched with a warm rain. But then it sinks deeper and swallows you and becomes much more than an emotion. It becomes a reason to live and keep going. A reason to believe in something beyond yourself.