...asked my three year old grand daughter in her innocent boldness.Surprised at a question that most adults can't even ask, I quickly summoned a simple answer...
Well, Anna, love can be many things: sharing, caring, helping, listening. God is love and we show His love by doing these things for others.
Later I thought more about Anna's question.
What is love? How do we usually look for that answer in the world?
Growing up I stereotypically looked for love in all the wrong places. But even today, living as a Christ follower, it's easy to look to my husband, children, friends, even things and activities to fill an empty place in my heart that can only be satisfied by God's Love.
The world often equals sex to love. God graciously allows us the joy of sex to show love to our spouses, but that isn't love by definition.
Then there's love languages. I read The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman many years ago. But for the purposes of this blog, I decided to retake The Assessment Test. The scoring system is 0-12 with 12 being most important.
Here are my results:
- Words of Affirmation-9
- Quality Time-8
- Acts of Service-8
- Receiving Gifts-5
- Physical Touch-0
As a recovering sex addict, I find it very interesting that physical touch didn't even register! Just goes to show you... sex isn't always about love; and acting out in my addiction, it never was.
In a previous post titled Reflections, I wrote about the Exodus Freedom Conference where I attended a workshop called A Basic Understanding of Female Homosexuality. Christian Counselor, Melissa Ingraham spoke on the complexity of lesbianism and factors contributing to same sex attraction.
Because of family circumstances, and by no fault of my mother, the primary factor for my same sex attraction was: I never bonded with my feminine nurturer. Which is why Physical Touch isn't my love language. Being unmet, that childhood need still hungers; and with my mother deceased now 2 years, I'm left with an emptiness that only God can heal.
So what is this thing deep inside that we need? Is it love?
Yes, not a human or worldly love...
But THE Love -- God.
And the only way to get it is to press in that much more, to the Heart of God, His Word and His Presence. It is there we will find ...True Love.
** Prayer for healing.**
Almighty God, creator of all things, Who in Your infinite mystery, can be both mother and father to those in need; reach down with Your Hand, that overflows with Love and touch the recesses of our souls, our hearts, our minds and our bodies to bring about full and complete healing. Thank You Lord Jesus that we can walk forward, fully confident and whole, with Your Ever Present Love filling us by The Holy Spirit. Amen
This post is dedicated to my incredible husband on our 32nd wedding anniversary. Bill, thank you for never giving up and for believing in me when I couldn't. I love you more than ever! ~ Tamara