Saturday, April 1, 2017

LOVE


“Mami, Papi que sucede?” Papi came over and in a quick pant answered that Tío Victor had committed suicide last night.
            Jocelyn smiled as though it weren’t true. “That can’t be, he’s a strong and happy man. His wife is young and they had a child recently.”
            Papi looked at her with an affirming expression and reiterated that his youngest brother was dead. Tío Victor had pulled the trigger in a drunken outrage while in Abuelas house; she heard the trigger that his wife witnessed with their child at hand.
            Recognizing that she was spaced out trying to force herself out of this reality, Antoni came from behind and turned her around. Still rambling back and forth from English to Spanish trying to convince that this was false, he sternly gazed into her eyes and practically yelled, “Jocelyn! Listen to me, your Tío Victor is gone. He died last night.”
            The words exploded in echoing sounds as she consumed each syllable. And then her mind spoke, my favorite uncle is dead? Then she spoke aloud, her voice sounding distant and slow, “My favorite uncle is dead?” And then an outburst of screaming rage and cries burst through as she grabbed his shirt with aggression.
Chapter 19, page 108 and 109



If you’ve ever cried because of someone’s passing, then you have love dwelling within.

The segment above is based on personal experience and happened during my young age of sixteen and till this day I sometimes dwell on the fact that every time I go to Puerto Rico I won’t see him.

I miss my Abuelas and Abuelos. I miss my Tío's and Tia’s that passed away so long ago.

Several weeks ago I lost my Tia Lydia to Cancer. Though it was expected it still hit and hard. And, as soon as I received the message I went to her Facebook page and wrote a short letter to her. Every word saw me crying…
"I may not have seen you as often as I would’ve loved to, but the few time I did were moments I will never forget. Your grace brought a smile and your joyous spirit fueled me with that same joy.To know that I may not see you the time I go to Puerto Rico crumbles my heart. Knowing that you’re dancing with Jesus enlightens my soul."


Several days ago Facebook reminded me that it was her birthday. I took a few minutes to read the several birthday messages and thought about how she’s celebrating a new birth in heaven.



What Do You See Love As?

If you were raised in a Bible teaching church or studied Philosophy you’ll know that what you just read is an example of Storge, the Greek word for familial love.

Another Greek word we know is Philia which is often translated as friendship or brotherly love.

One of the most popular, and perhaps favorite, is Eros. It refers to passionate or romantic love.

Above all others, Agape is the most powerful and less lived of the four.



What Love do you live?

I believe that children are born and begin to live in Agape.

Their innocence has them see and hear no evil for no matter who dose what to them, the very next day they’ll go to the same person and begin to speak or play as though nothing had happened.

They’re color blind. Proof is expressed when they see another child, and without thought, introduce themselves and begin to play.

As a child continues their walk through life they’re taught about family, which includes the people excluded from the family for whatever reason. Their route through school begins to include friends of all sorts, until someone points out the difference in one person from the other that then equals to they’re exclusion of people from their lives. As teens they begin to see and gradually understand a liking for the opposite sex that, if not careful, can also be dangerous.

Through it all the child, that at one time saw and heard no evil, now sees things through a teaching brought forth through adults, the TV or movie, and social media.

As young adults we’ll think of someone and remember what they did or didn’t do, allowing whatever emotions to show up. We’ll see someone coming our way and immediately react to how they look or on what happened in the past. One positive word has us sometimes react in a negative manner and a negative word energizes us to do worse. As elderly folk we want to take control where none was given and speak our minds even if it offends whomever.

I believe that adults remember their good o’ days and forget that this is a new generation.

Our experience has us seeing and hearing evil and it doesn’t matter who hasn’t done what, we will automatically label that person or people. We tend to judge by the way they look or what they say and automatically hang with our kind whether we know it or not.

It’s a silent controversy that, you know as well as , have it’s truth.  (I give you permission to keep that a hush, hush.)


“For God so loved the world, He gave...“
            She interrupted him. “I know the verse by memory.”
            “Everyone does. But not everyone understands its significance. You must read it from the beginning and stop to listen what the Word is saying. For God so love the world He gave His only…For God so love the world He gave His only...For God so love the world He gave His only…” Repeating the specified words numerous times she suddenly, for the very first time, discovered what the verse meant. Recognizing her discovery, he smiled and continued. “While
Jesus was on this earth He went through mental, physical, and heartfelt pain.
You know His teaching, you know the history. But, remember, Jesus always had a comeback for each mocker and mockery. He knew who they were and by use of Word, He spoke their unfortunate reality. Despite it all, He loved them unconditionally. In that love, He determined to walk and to be dragged through the long, brutal road and was physically beaten with whips and finally nailed up.” The specific scenes of The Passion of the Christ gave way to her imagination,
“Isaiah 53 explains His suffering and will show that the Father knows and understands your struggles.”
Chapter 15



The subject, “God’s Love” will forever be a matter of great interest, because the same question pops up in our minds every day of our lives, whether we admit it or not.


  • Does God really love me?     
  • He loves me even after I screwed up?
  • If he loves me so much, as you say, how come I’m going through this stuff?
  • If God so loved the world, then why are there sickness and poverty and evil?


There are so many other questions that all I have to say is “Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.”
(Quote borrowed from Seinfeld episode, “The Yadda Yadda")

A few months ago I was listening to one of my favorite Evangelist, Jesse DuplantisHe shared one of the most impactful words that, though I knew this, grabbed my core and brought me to a higher level of understanding God’s Love.

Please note I’ll be expressing it on how I heard and felt it and not how he said it word for word.
“God loves so much that despite of knowing what was going to happen to Lucifer, He still created him. He loves so much that despite of knowing that Adam and Eve were going to fall, He still created them.  He loves so much that despite of knowing what humanity was going to become, He still create it.”
I Thank Him…

For creating me

For allowing me to be who I was

For placing in me the desire to be better than who I was yesterday

For holding me back on days when I wanted to beat someone into a coma

For guiding me to stay quiet when my words wanted to cut through and for speaking for me so my words wouldn’t be as sharp

For teaching me His humility

For helping me to walk in His Love and picking me up when I’ve tripped and fell

For simply loving me despite of all my backwards walk of life

We May Never…

Think as clearly as His Son did, but we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us

Listen as unmistakably as He does, but we can try

See thing as visibly as He can, but we should strive to

Feel things without letting our emotions get in the way, but with spiritual guidance we’re capable of reaching that next level

Love as perfectly as He did, but we do love and we can take a step forward to loving as He

Live as perfectly as His Son, but all things are possible for them who believe









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