All we need is love.

First of all, I seek your prayers for my brother Tim- he has left for 7 months-excited, and nervous, eager to find his purpose.

But, the purpose of this blog is a little deep today. I've been thinking a lot lately about love. There are so many ways of loving someone, so many kinds.

Funny how we aren't born with love. Think about it. When we're babies, we don't "love" anyone at first. It's all about us. What we need, and who's going to meet that need. Take care of us. Love us before we love them back. And slowly, you come to love the person in return. It is nurtured, cultivated, learned.

And then, in my life, came along the "puppy love". I remember hating that term- usually applied by adults who didn't understand that my latest crush was the sun, moon, and stars, and I would NEVER love another. How DARE they take it so lightly?!?

And then, God let me fall in love with my Martin, and I had real stars in my eyes. Martin loved me with all my warts, and I could tell him everything. His loving me, makes me love him even more. There are bumpy days, where we don't feel like loving each other, but we do. It is nurtured, cultivated, learned, and held onto.

And just when I thought I couldn't love anymore than I already had, God gave me a son. And then, for the first time in my life, I knew the meaning of unconditional love. And now another son. And more unconditional love.

I once naively compared my love of my siblings to that of a mother's love. How wrong I was. My love for my younger siblings is so deep, and I do long to protect them, like a mother would. But, even a sibling's love is nurtured, cultivated, learned. A sibling love can be deeply wounded, and even broken over time. Not in my case, Thank God, but I've seen it happen. It's a tragic thing.

But the mother's love I'm experiencing is like no other I've experienced. You don't have to be a biological mother to know what I mean. A mother is the one who loves you from minute one, and recognizes all the potential you have, and the gift that you are, and all that God wants you to be. The one who has to let go one day, but never really does.

I look at my little boys, and I think, how will I be, one day, when a woman comes along to become the number one in their lives? Will I be able to let go, but still hold a place? How long will it be until she understands the depth of my love for the one she loves? Maybe not until she brings her own into the world. I remember being offended once because Martin's mom and I were in a power-struggle over who would treat his cold. I thought she could not understand how I loved him.

So many different kinds, I've learned, and so many more I will, I'm sure.

I John 4:19 (KJV)- "We love Him, because He first loved us."