Love hurts
because love works.
Love chooses.
Love does hard things
Love unselfishly
chooses 
for another’s highest good.

Love gives.
Love sacrifices.
Love pursues.
Love directs its focus on those
least deserving.

Love hurts
because in a broken world
love has no shortage of opportunity
to prioritize the needs of others.

Love is hard
for love denies oneself
to care for another
first.
Above all.
In the same way
You, Abba, have done for us. 

Received loved
is the basis then, for
granted love.
Love welcomed in our lives
begets hospitality of love
towards others.
Failure to love
to give
to work for others
benefit
is to forget
what has been
received.

The less deserving
The more
love seeks to give

Love is faithful 
Love is courageous 
Love is not ashamed
Love hurts
love is hard
for
Love is faithful 

Love’s faithfulness is tested
when it faces hard things.
Love’s faithfulness is tried
when it is rejected
spurned
ignored
When it is deemed 
intrusive 
Love’s faithfulness is assayed 
when unreciprocated

Love remains faithful 
for that is what love
IS
What love
DOES

It unselfishly 
chooses
for another’s 
highest good.

It works
for the good
of another

Unconditionally 
Tirelessly
Sacrificially 

And where 
sin abounds,
love shines brightly 

Thus
Love hurts
for love
works
in the face of 
brokenness
It shines
where
shatteredness resides 

For the follower 
of Christ
This love,
Christ’s love
forms the basis of our
IDENTITY.
We are the 
Beloved
Unconditionally loved by You, God.

This unconditional reception
begets
unconditional conveyance.

We were created
to be loved
to love.

The very foundation 
of who we are
is the receiving 
and giving
of love

Loving like You
Our God
Our Savior
though hard,
despite hurt
brings ultimate fulfillment.
Even You, God
You, Jesus,
You, Spirit
know the pain of loving

And yet
Love IS 

WHO You are

It is 
WHO we are
In You.
So, let us do
hard things
Let us Love 
hard
Love well
Love like you, Jesus
SO that
the true depth 
and glory
of love,
of Your love
as our Creator
might now 
and always
be seen
and worshipped!