“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, God loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely… God loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful or broken.” - Dieter F. Uchdorf
Dear Saint Anne’s families,
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’ve seen the famous and fabulous quote from I Corinthians on a number of cards and gifts:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (I Corinthians 13: 4-7)
It’s beautiful. But I’ve always understood this passage from I Corinthians in terms of human love - and I’ve always found myself feeling twinges of guilt when I read or hear it. I do love the people in my life– with my whole heart. Yet…I am not always patient. I am not always kind. Sometimes I can be boastful or proud. Sometimes I’m self-seeking, and sometimes angry. Too often I fall far, far short of what I’ve always heard in I Corinthians as the call to love one another. If I can’t even love well those I love, how can I even begin to manage the more difficult tasks to which we are called?
And then I stumbled across the quote at the top of this page. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely….though we are imperfect, God loves us perfectly….
As I read that quote, a voice came into my head (or maybe it’s more accurate to say I felt something touch my heart). It was something that whispered, Love is patient, Love is kind…. And God is Love.
God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy or boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves….
Ahh. I do think I Corinthians is a call and a directive. This is how I will strive to love. But when I fall short, I Corinthians is also a love song from God to me. To us. “Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely… even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful or broken.” Well, that list includes all of us isn’t, it? But God is patient, God is kind. What a Valentine's present.
Happy Valentine’s Day. As always, thank you for sharing your children with Saint Anne’s. They are the greatest of our many loves!
p e a c e,
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’ve seen the famous and fabulous quote from I Corinthians on a number of cards and gifts:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (I Corinthians 13: 4-7)
It’s beautiful. But I’ve always understood this passage from I Corinthians in terms of human love - and I’ve always found myself feeling twinges of guilt when I read or hear it. I do love the people in my life– with my whole heart. Yet…I am not always patient. I am not always kind. Sometimes I can be boastful or proud. Sometimes I’m self-seeking, and sometimes angry. Too often I fall far, far short of what I’ve always heard in I Corinthians as the call to love one another. If I can’t even love well those I love, how can I even begin to manage the more difficult tasks to which we are called?
And then I stumbled across the quote at the top of this page. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely….though we are imperfect, God loves us perfectly….
As I read that quote, a voice came into my head (or maybe it’s more accurate to say I felt something touch my heart). It was something that whispered, Love is patient, Love is kind…. And God is Love.
God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy or boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves….
Ahh. I do think I Corinthians is a call and a directive. This is how I will strive to love. But when I fall short, I Corinthians is also a love song from God to me. To us. “Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely… even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful or broken.” Well, that list includes all of us isn’t, it? But God is patient, God is kind. What a Valentine's present.
Happy Valentine’s Day. As always, thank you for sharing your children with Saint Anne’s. They are the greatest of our many loves!
p e a c e,
Jennifer
UPCOMING SUNDAY CLUB DATES
Family Ash Wednesday Service: February 13, 5:30 pm
Youth Music Festival, February 23rd
Bishop’s Family Day: March 2. 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Minneapolis
Youth Ski Trip through St. Christopher’s in Edina: March 3rd
Holy Week: week of March 25th
St. Paul TEC: April 12 – 15th
Summer in the City: June 18 – 21st
MinneEYE: June 30 – July 3rd
No comments:
Post a Comment