When the Condition is to Hold On

Oh. There's so much in my head and on my heart right now. It's hard to focus between an old love and a new one. Let me try to focus on one for now...

I've always wondered about love being unconditional. As humans, we can say that we love unconditionally, and we may even strive to love that way, but we just can't.

Almost everything we do has a condition upon it. Why do we go to work? Because we love it or because it pays the bills, gets our kids through college, provides for our retirement? When you give someone a gift, do you expect something in return - even further down the road? If you get someone something for their birthday and then yours rolls around, do you expect to get one from them? Why? Because it's owed to you; you deserve it?

How many times have you said to yourself or heard someone else say: "Look at all I've done for them, and what do I get in return? Nothing." Or "I deserve better than what they're giving me."

We give to receive. And when we receive, we try to remember to give back. There are tons of thousands of examples for this in our society. But there is one love that is unconditional and requires no balance or earning on our part. That's God's love and grace. And no matter how much we try and strive for perfection in love, we'll never get there.

We make mistakes, we do wrong, all of us. We learn the meaning of true love when we have to forgive someone that has hurt us. Sometimes we're able to forgive freely, and other times, we feel that what we've been given just isn't worth the pain anymore. Now remember, there is a difference between doing something wrong and intentional hurt. If someone intentionally hurts you, it may be possible to forgive them, but that doesn't warrant you to stay with them and continue the cycle.

But if they didn't mean to hurt you and are truly sorry, then reconcile it together. You may just grow in love. Learn to hold each other through all of the good and bad. Sometimes, they're all you have.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Hold You Up" by Matthew West
For those of you who don't know, for the past couple years, Matthew West has teamed up with KLOVE radio and writes a song inspired by a couple's true love story. This song was the 2010 winner. I like this song because it's about someone that is there for their partner through everything they can be, and then, for the things that they just can't help with, God is there. Sometimes we put superhuman power upon our significant others; putting a false and failed expectation on them.
This song reminds me of the "Footprints" poem or story. You know the one; the picture of two sets of footprints leading up to only set of footprints. The story is about someone knowing that God walks with them through life (resembled by the two sets), but questions God why there is only set of footprints during the really rough times; why would He leave? And God answers, it was then that I held you.

As an old boyfriend once said to me, "Sometimes you just need to be held." It's as true today as it was then. Everyone needs a little love; hold on to that when there is nothing else.