“I love the Lord more than anything; I love the Lord more than anything – unless it’s about a half-grown fried rabbit.” This was the honest expression of love expressed by a new Christian who had never been in church much. She hadn’t learned that Christians weren’t always that truthful.
One wife whined to her husband, “Why don’t you ever tell me you love me?” I told you once, and if it ever changes, I’ll tell you then.
Another husband, who knew the words but didn’t follow through with actions, hugged his wife and blabbered, “Darling, I love you so much, I would walk to the end of the world for you.”
“Really,” she asked. “Well, go with me to that new Mexican restaurant for lunch today.”
“I can’t. It’s a sunny day and I want to play golf.”
Perhaps we should reflect on what is said in the scripture:
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

My husband did it so very right. Words of love spoken behind closed doors are important, but when we are affirmed in love in front of others, it melts our hearts. In a sermon about Heaven Steve was preaching, he admitted he didn’t understand all about it. “I know the scriptures tell us that there will be no marrying in Heaven, but I truly hope God will allow me to live on the same street Barbara does.” That one earned him big-time marriage points.

I believe God puts people in our lives where we can love and communicate it, as much as in our power, in practice for our telling the Lord of our love for HIM and living it out. My niece expressed it this way: “I believe our life here on earth is but a test.”
It made me wonder if I would pass that test in my love of the Lord. I realize Jesus modeled agape love for us (the in spite of love), where about the best we can do is “because of” love. To each other and to HIM we need to practice saying “I love you because ________________” about ten times a day, and when possible saying, “I love you in spite of __________________.” (Fill in the blanks.)
In choir we have been working on the song, Ten Thousand Years and We’ve Just Begun. The words have put much in perspective for me. Sometimes I feel my 56 years here on this earth were too short to spend with the love of my life before he went to Heaven, but this song reminds me this time is just a dot in the big scope of things.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Because of this hope, I’m confident I will spend ten thousand years with him in Heaven, and then, it’s just begun.