Those Three Little Words

Recently, I have pondered over this quote:

"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him." C.S. Lewis

And, as usual, I found Lewis to be extremely wise. Also, I came to a new conclusion. I don't think this is exactly what he was trying to get at, (Here, Lewis is discussing the importance of loving our neighbors even when we do not want to--when we feel we do not love them. Please take the time to investigate his words yourself, they are wonderful.) but thinking on this quote led me to thinking about love...

I decided that love is more a verb than a noun. As a noun, it becomes nearly impossible to describe. It becomes a feeling, oftentimes a fleeting feeling that no one can really explain or wrap their minds around. It is beautiful as a noun, but as a verb it becomes concrete. Let me explain...

I know there are different kinds of love and different terms used to describe each kind--I can appreciate that. For now, I am going to lay all that aside and speak in general terms: When someone says, "I love you," what does that mean? As Lewis points out, we love people through our actions--possibly kind words, but it needs to be reinforced through action.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

I believe that when someone says, "I love you," it should be a statement of the obvious. When I say those three little words to people, I expect them to not be surprised. When I tell people that I love them, I want to say it all day long through the actions I take, not just the words spilling forth through my lips. I want them to know that I love them and to know it without a doubt. I don't want them to question my love for them; they should not need to hear me say those words. When I choose to say the words audibly, I don't want to make people do a double-take. I'd rather they smile with a look that says, "Lauren, I already knew that." I don't think there is anything magical in actually saying the words. Hearing them sometimes is music to the heart, I know this, but if there are no actions to verify the words as truth, they quickly are discovered to be hollow.

It is much more difficult and original to tell someone you love them without words. To be in love is mystical. To love someone is fact. I don't want to fall in love--I want to love and be loved. For now, I am going to view love as a verb. It is time for us, brothers and sisters, to close our mouths and let our hands do some talking.

Ten Days

I always thought I would die at a young age.

I can't explain why... it was just a feeling. I thought that I would get to heaven before most people I knew; I honestly never expected to make it this far. Yet here I am, ten days from my twentieth birthday.

Nathan died exactly ten days away from his twentieth birthday. It's strange to think that this could be my last day; any day could be. It's been an awful day, but thinking about eternity has a tendency to put things into perspective...

I'm still here for a reason.

As long as I'm on this planet, God has purposes for my life that I have yet to fulfill. For me, tomorrow and everyday after will be a day that Nathan never got to see. It's strange to realize your own fragility--strange and sobering. Am I living everyday like it could be my last? No, not really, but I'm trying.

I want the people I care about to know that I care about them. I want the world to know Christ. I want what I do today to matter in eternity. When I am called to accountability for what I've done with my life, I want to be able to look around heaven and see faces of people whose lives I've touched.

John Piper said, "My joy grows with every soul that seeks the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Remember, you have one life. That’s all. You were made for God. Don’t waste it." He sums up the purpose of our lives well in his book Don't Waste Your Life: "to live and speak in such a way that the worth of 'Christ crucified' is seen and savored by more and more people."

This is my passion...the beat of my heart.

I desire, more than anything, to take part in God's plan by seeking out lost souls. I want to do life with people, and then I want to do eternal life to the fullest with people.

I believe this was also Nathan's passion. It has been such a blessing for me to be able to look around earth and see the faces of people whose lives he has touched and to know that even if I were to die tonight, I would see them again.

Don't even think about wasting your life--"your one and only precious, God-given life" (Piper).