Love HURTS

Love hurts. I thought I knew what this statement meant. But there's something I've come to learn over these last few weeks. What I thought I knew was only a glimpse, a taste of what it really meant to love so much it hurts. Love hurts. Boy, does it ever. I love my dad so much it hurts. I miss my dad so much it hurts! It all just hurts.

But then I think.....what an incredibly blessing it is that I was given the ability, the gift to love someone this much. How amazing is it that I was able to love my dad so much that it hurts? I can't imagine not being able to love like this. Love HURTS. And I'm glad it does. So even though I feel an incredible amount of pain, I wouldn't want you to take the pain away even if you could. The pain is my reminder of how much I love my dad. Even though I wish I didn't have to feel this loss, I'm glad I hurt so bad, because that means that I must've really, really loved my dad. Can you imagine if I would be in my position right now and NOT feel what I'm feeling? How tragic would that be! We all hurt right now because we love my dad! Love HURTS. The pain I feel is so deep because my love for him is so deep. I wouldn't trade the deepness of it all for anything.

It makes one wonder, what I'm feeling right now is this deep, intense love for one person, for my dad. What Jesus did, the pain he endured, because of his love not just for one person, but for every single person. Imagine the incredible amount of pain he felt, not only being nailed to the cross, but the pain in his heart because of the amount of love He has. It is because of His deep and intense love that I am allowed to love at all. For that amazing gift, I am truly thankful. Because of JESUS, and God's great love for me, I know what it means when I say, "love HURTS!"

Thank you, Lord for letting me love my dad SO MUCH! THANK YOU for letting me love so much that it hurts.