The Greatest of These Gifts is Love
Most of our lives are spent moving to a soundscape of music, whether we actually hear it playing or are actively listening to it. Sometimes it is playing in the background and I could not tell you what songs in particular I have heard at any given time. Then comes a moment when I actively listened, and it was in this instance Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” played on the radio:
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance… I hope you dance…
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’,
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’,
Don’t let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin’ out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.I hope you dance… I hope you dance.
Written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers
I hope you dance… I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder where those years have gone.)….
With a timeless life-affirming message, this upbeat song is based on the expression of a mother’s deepest wish for her children: they will embrace life with faith, hope, and love.
FAITH
Pistis is the original Greek word used most often to translate the word faith in the Bible meaning to have a firm conviction based upon hearing or to be of a firm persuasion and is used frequently in the New Testament referring always to faith in God , Jesus Christ, or all things spiritual. Pistos, on the other hand, is the active word which lives out pistis. It translates as faithful, faithfully, and faithfulness. God is the source and gold standard of faithfulness (pistos) which He has revealed in His interactions with mankind. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ exemplifies this same kind of faithfulness in the interactions with His followers. The Holy Spirit is present and everready to bring forth this strength of character in you and me so that we too may be relied on to be faithful in all of our relationships under all circumstances.
HOPE
ROMANS 5:3-5
But not only that – we even boast of our afflictions! We know that afflictions makes for endurance, and endurance for tested virtue, and tested virtue for hope. And this hope will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Hope springs from deep within our souls and gives us purpose…. the glory of God.
LOVE
JOHN 14: 21
He who obeys the commandments he has from me is the man who loves me;
and he who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and reveal myself to him.
When my nephews (who are now in their 20s) were in preschool, they learned a little song:
“Jesus loves me. Yes, I know. For the Bible tells me so,” was part of the tune. A simple but effective message that holds true throughout all time. It’s a universal message that reaches every continent on Earth and has been translated into numerous languages. The greatest rewards in life result from a lifestyle lived in love through the following commitments:
- to love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul;
- live a life of actively bringing forth the fruit of love of the Holy Spirit;
- learn how to love your neighbor as yourself.
The greatest gift that God can give us is His mercy. That is the highest form of love that He has for us! Through His Divine Mercy, God grants us salvation from our sins. To learn more about God’s Divine Mercy, go to https://homesoflife.net/spiritual-care/divine-mercy.
