Love One Another

So we were talking about families today in my religion class (LDS Marriage and Family, go figure, haha), and the professor talked about love that matters.  He said something along the lines of loving someone is most important on the bad days, whether yours or theirs.  And so I've been thinking about what love should mean to me. So here's a couple thoughts of love in general:

Real love has nothing to do with what the person does, but who he/she is.  And when I say who he/she is, I do not mean, how they act, what they say, what their accomplishments are, but the fact that they are human.  And more importantly, beloved children of Heavenly Father.  Beloved He says?   That means cherished, dear to His heart,  loved greatly.  And if our Omnipotent Father in Heaven, the one who has seen not only where they fall short,  but also their limitless potential and loves them, should we not strive to see that and love them too?  

C.S. Lewis said, "It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities [potential of men to be gods or corrupted]...that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people.  You have never talked to a mere mortal...It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours...And our charity must be a real and costly love...no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."

Second of all, charitable love, like my teacher Professor Brooks said, is not dependent on whether it's a good day or a bad day, on their end or yours.  No matter how much they disappointed you, how much they unknowingly aggravate you or hurt your feelings, how much they don't understand, to wish them well in the end is what it means to love one another to me.  To encourage them when they fail, to be understanding when they don't, and to be joyful with them when they succeed and grow.  That is love.

And last of all, "God is love" 1 John 4:8, and to know Him is to know how to love.

It's getting kinda late, so I feel I'm just rambling now, but I do know that you're cherished by the Lord, and at least one other person who cherishes you too ;)   (In case you didn't know, that's me)