"Love (understood as the desire of good for one another) is in fact so unnatural a phenomenon that it can scarcely repeat itself, the soul being unable to become virgin again and not having energy enough to cast itself out again into the ocean of another's soul." -James Joyce
I love this quote. It was one of my "quotes of the day" on my google homepage a while ago. But "love" is one of those terms thrown around so easily that I am always thrilled to find a deep and insightful definition of the word. I like this one because it reminds me that there is one individual out there whose heart will fit into mine, and vice versa. I'm going to give my heart to one man and one man only, and the day I give my heart to him will be the day we stand before God and witnesses and promise to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives--no matter the circumstances. The love that I long to experience is this kind of love that Joyce talks about--the kind that is reserved for one other person in your life and is not tossed around lightly. The one that involves commitment and sacrifice, not just emotion and feelings. As Thomas Mann put it, "He who loves more is the inferior and must suffer."
" 'Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle.' 'Sounds like a wrestling match.' 'A wrestling match.' He laughs. 'Yes, you could describe life that way.' 'So which side wins?' He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth. 'Love wins. Love always wins.' " -Mitch Albom
Someone had this on their profile once, and I liked it, so I borrowed it. It's kind of self-explanatory and more sweet than anything. I'm not a huge Mitch Albom fan (he's so idealistic), but this little conversation just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"The thing you have to understand about Daddy is that he wasn't just saying that stuff about the Lord. His God was a God who had a plan for your life, but who left you room to make your own mistakes. Your job was to watch for signs and to listen for guidance. What others might dismiss as the vagaries of fate, my father interpreted as dancing lessons from the Divine. Every step was part of a ballet too large for you to see it all, a provisional choreography perhaps not even intended for you to understand, and the key was to move into its rhythms with both humility and boldness, never mistaking yourself for the director." -Timothy Tyson
This is from Blood Done Sign My Name, the book we had to read last summer as incoming freshmen. I wasn't terribly impressed with it, but this quote struck me and I immediately wrote it down. It's such a beautiful way to describe a relationship with the Lord--at least a small part of it. And the fact that he used dance and choreography as an analogly, of course completely resonated with me.
That's all. Just wanted to share some little thoughts with you.
God bless,
lv
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