1 Corinthians:7 - A Meditation

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 

"Love bears all things"
Bears, as in, shoulders the burden. 
...Like the cross You carried up Calvary...
...Like the offering You made of Yourself
To pay the sin-debt we incurred. 
How do I compare
My daily burdens to that?
Suddenly a phone call I don't want to make,
Or a task I don't wish to do
Seems very small indeed!

"Believes all things,"
...Like the promises of God to raise You up again...
...Like the gift of salvation we have been freely given by Your death and resurrection.
How small my daily world is
Compared to an Eternity of Heaven!
How minute are my worries about 
All the things passing away
To be someday replaced by 
All that is
Holy and Good and True!

"Hopes all things"
...Like the hope You gave the criminal 
When You promised that he would be in Paradise with You...
...Or the hope You gave so many 
Through Your teachings, healings, and miracles...
...Or the hope You gave the world 
By choosing death over life,
Agony and rejection for us,
So that we can be called
Children of the Living God. 
How do I comprehend the meaning
Of calling God "Father?"
I am as nothing, a breath, 
A leaf blown off the Tree of Life
In a moment,
And yet burning in me,
And growing brighter every day,
Is the knowledge of Your Love for me, 
And the hope of Eternal Life in You. 

"Endures all things."
...Like the 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness...
...Like the temptations of the Adversary...
...Like a society not ready to accept the Kingdom of God...
...Like the pain of a friend's betrayal...
...Like the overwhelming fear in Gethsemane...
...Like the illegal trial, unjust sentence, corporal punishment, and horrifying execution at the hands of the entire world...
How...HOW?...
And for us?
(We are not worthy. 
[I know that's the point].)
Because You endured and overcame,
I can do likewise. 
Because You suffered, and were redeemed -
Loved, and conquered death - 
There's nothing in this life 
I cannot do. 
You show true love
For a broken creation,
And rooted in Your love,
I can bear and believe and hope and endure
Until we see each other 
Face to face.