Agape

 Do you love me? Jesus challenged Peter with these words three times.  Each time challenging Peter to a deeper love and just like Peter each of us go through life learning to love to a greater capacity.  We are in a love university which ends with death as our graduation, meaning that as long as we have breath we need to grow in love. 

In our teenage years we begin to dabble with love and our emotions take high precedence, but to remain with that definition of love is to not uncover the real gift and only be satisfied with the wrapping.  Yes, love makes us feel supreme, there’s no greater high than to love and be loved; but emotions are capricious and fleeting.  Feelings are here today and gone tomorrow, but true love remains.  Love begins the moments that emotions subside with action and dedication.

I look at my father’s garden.  Everyday he is out there tending, pruning, watering… Yet, when he travels to Mexico for a month or two his garden browns and withers.  In order, for his garden to give its natural beauty it requires a lot of attention. A lot a of action from the hands of its gardener.  If the care stops death comes to all those flowers. 

God in His infinite wisdom made us stewards of His creation.  He knew that man was not made to be alone, but thrives in relationship. In relationship with nature, each other, and Him.  Yet, He gave each of us the gift of freewill to choose how deep those relationships go and time to tend, prune and water our lot so that maybe like Peter we too would be challenged towards agape.

From a girl raised with Mexican soap operas that highly exaggerate love as uncontrollable passion, I am still learning that love is a choice followed by actions.  It might be a less romantic definition, but it certainly is a healthy one and the true way that transforms the world.