Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. 1 Corinthians 14:4-7 For many years, I looked upon that verse as being simply beautiful. Nothing more than inspirational words about the idealistic view of love. It wasn't until it was explained to me (after some long years of loving the same man) that I finally understood why love is spoken of in this way. Jesus loved us this way. Love is patient. It could also be interpreted as "love is long-suffering." How are they one in the same? Since love is an action, not a feeling, the decision to love makes us vulnerable. And when we're vulnerable, the possibility of suffering increases, because it lays us bare to be hurt. When I made the decision to love my husband all those years ago, I never realized that I was putting myself out there in the line of fire; in the line of his fire. Arguments were a part of everyday life back then. Children, finances, moving and what to cook for supper were all grounds for a battle at the drop of a hat. For years we suffered through increasingly difficult situations, yet somehow, we ovecame each one and landed back in each other's arms, content with the one we chose to spend the rest of our lives with. Friends never understood why we never walked away from each other. When I would respond to the question of why I would remain with this man, I would always answer, "Because I love him." I can see now that choosing to love someone meant that I would learn patience. I would learn to suffer long in order to be with the man who brings me so much happiness and joy. The suffering of love is worth it.