A Lasting Love.

I seriously feel like I have been on a Lucy/Stupid-train ever since I returned to Oxford. I am going to blame it on the euphoria of being back in my beloved secondary home, but it is beginning to get a tad bit ridiculous. I have said the most off-the-wall absurdities lately- including the one I am about to share. If you know me well, you know I am obsessed with old people and the obnoxiously cute things that they just naturally do. My heart seriously turns into mush when I see an old couple like the picture above. Well, today I was riding in the car with Tate, and we passed by the Square where I saw an elderly couple walking down the street. My heart began its pitter-patter, and I proclaimed,

"Oh my gosh, they are so precious. I want to be like them when I am that old."

Normal reaction right? Maybe a little over-dramatic, but still normal. Well, apparently the money my mother shells out for my contact lenses is going to schmuck because of Tate's reply:

"Shelby, that is two men...."

I tried. Who knew the man just really liked colorful plaid shirts? So, I guess I should say they were precious friends.

My whole point here though is that I saw (or what I thought I saw) a lasting love. A love that had conquered all. A love that persevered in times of trouble, rejoiced in times of triumph, danced in times of celebration, and lasted throughout all of these. The kind of love that changes your life completely.

Although my "cute couple" turned out to be two old men, I was introduced to the true form of "lasting love" this past week as well. As I was reading my Bible, I came across this verse:

"By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have LOVE for one another."- John 13:35.

This is THE lasting love. Our lives are molded and designed to carry out one simple task- LOVE. We are simply asked to love one another. (Yet, this can sometimes be a great challenge- but nonetheless, a wonderfully powerful one). This verse suggests that people will know we are HIS by our LOVE.

And what kind of love were we given that we are now asked to give?

A lasting love. A love that conquers all. A love that perseveres in times of troubles, rejoices in times of triumph, dances in times of celebration, and lasts throughout all of these. A love that changes our lives completely.