THE CHOICE

The opposite of love is rejection.

Love covers a multitude of poor judgments with a healing balm of forgiveness.

Rejection never does.

Love gives the benefit of the doubt, for only God knows the heart.

Rejection doesn’t.

Love seeks the good because therein lies the light.

Rejection thrives on darkness.

Love respects.

Rejection spits.

Love offers pure and soul nourishing care.

Love extends mercy.

Rejection smiles at revenge.

Love comforts.

Rejection stirs fear.

Love is interested.

Rejection is careless.

Love dignifies the humble and righteously humbles the proud.

Rejection exalts worldly opinions of worth.

Love is stillness of heart.

Rejection strikes painful blows and opens old wounds.

Love empathizes.

Rejection scoffs.

Love values.

Rejection cheapens.

Love gently speaks words of truth.

Rejection spews condemnation and shame.

Love is listening.

Rejection turns its head.

Love offers peace for the soul.

Rejection pushes away eternal rescue.

Love is a choice.

With a heavy heart but never ending hope,

Love lets go.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13