Love Defined
I love you.
What does that mean?
It means that I will wait for you patiently, and will control my temper.
I will always look for the best thing to say about you, and I will do the little things that make you smile. I will lavish compliments on you and praise your accomplishments generously.
I won’t be jealous of you, or covet what you have; instead I’ll rejoice that you have it.
I won’t push you down to build myself up; instead I’ll climb with you, and, when it’s down to the wire, I’ll stay below to give you a boost.
I’ll show you greater concern than I show for myself.
I won’t speak sharply to you or ignore you, I’ll hear you out even when I don’t want to think you’re right.
I won’t forget you while trying to aggrandise myself; instead I’ll build you up and let God worry about me.
I won’t snap at you or shout angry and hurtful words for no reason.
I will not keep bringing up what you did last week, last month, or last year. Past is past; I’ll forgive you.
If something bad happens to you, I’ll weep with you, not point and laugh.
I’ll always strive for honesty and open communication between us.
I won’t let others speak ill of you; I’ll speak in your defense. If necessary, I’ll step between you and a bullet meant for you. I’d rather be hurt than let you be hurt, or, worse yet, than hurt you myself.
I will trust you, even when it seems like you’re messing things up. I’ll believe in you, even when all the circumstances say you’re dead wrong.
I’ll always look for the silver lining with you, and I’ll do my best to point out the good on the road ahead.
I won’t give up on you. Ever. No matter what you do, I’ll stick it out.
I will stay forever.
I won’t leave or betray you.
I’ll brag on you to my friends, holding you up as an example of good.
I’ll be constant for you.
I won’t get “bored” and leave.
When I find a fault in you, I won’t ridicule you; instead I’ll help you to mend it, covering your weak areas with my strong ones. I’ll be honest with you about my weaknesses, without fearing that you’ll ridicule me for them.
I won’t fear you, and I’ll never threaten or intimidate you.
I’ll base my decisions on what’s best for you, not on my own gain.
When you have a rough day or a failure, I’ll be there to listen, to counsel, or just to sit with you.
When you are wrong, I will confront you humbly and gently, and I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
I want to be near you. When you’re not near me, I anticipate the next time I’ll see you.
When you smile, it brightens my day.
When your tears fall, so do mine.
You bring out the creativity in me; it expresses itself in all the ways I can show you love.
When you laugh, the whole world seems merry.
I want you to stay near me the rest of our lives, and I want to be together in heaven.
If your friends shower you with praise and recognition, I’ll lead the charge.
And if your enemies demand your life, I will give mine instead.
There’s no better way I could say what I’ve been trying to say all along:
I love you.
