What is Love? 5 Different Types of Love!

What is love? Well, love is a 4 lettered word that is simple but very intricate!  There are so many parts to love and so many different types of love! Let's start with the true, supreme love...the love of God! God's love is unconditional! Do you know what that means? It means that He loves us without any conditions whatsoever! There is nothing we can or have to do to have Him love us! He created us and He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY!  Unfortunately we have to learn to love like that, but we can when we learn to develop that beautiful close relationship with our Daddy!

Next is love between a husband and wife! Now this is a love that can and should be strong and continually grow and mature throughout the years. The butterflies in your stomach and the fireworks going off when you kiss or are with that someone is not love! It is the idea of being in love; the excitement of finding that someone 'special'! The marriages that last through whatever life has to offer; the trials, the sorrows, the hardships are the marriages built on love, friendship, laughter and trust! If you don't have a friendship with the one you are married to, you don't have a lasting marriage. Your spouse, the person you vowed to love and let no one or nothing come between you, should be your best friend, the one you love and who loves you with God's love...unconditionally! 'Marriage love' takes sharing, laughter, a sense of humor, support, faith and patience! The one you married is not perfect, but neither are you! Together you work to build a beautiful, happy marriage!

Next is love for your child or children! Oh, when that first child is born, you think that it is impossible to love anyone or anything more! You have this small, precious, most beautiful, innocent little angel that is the product of your and your other half's love for each other! Your heart feels like it could burst! God has blessed you with a very, very special gift! Now what you have to realize is that God has not given this precious child to you as a possession! He has placed him/her in your hands to teach, guide, feed, clothe, train up to maturity into a wonderful Child of God! Parents' love takes on several different aspects! It is not meant to be a smothering, controlling or over indulging love. You can have a friendship/parent love with your child as long as the child knows where the friend stops and the parent takes over ("children should be seen and not heard")!  This is the type of love I worked to have with my children. They knew that I was their friend and they could tell me anything without condemnation from me, but they also knew where the friend stopped and the mother took over...a very fine line that was seldom crossed! So many people look at a baby and think, 'Oh, it is so cute and doesn't know what is going on!'  WRONG!!! Babies are born knowing how to manipulate and so many are smarter than their parents! :) When you truly love your child, you learn to practice 'tough love' when necessary! 'Tough Love' is learning to say no; to discipline when necessary; to even spank their little bottoms when necessary! It is also learning not to give in when you have said no! It is learning to let go of them to experience growing up. It is teaching them to do things for themselves! It is teaching them responsibility and independence! Have you ever watched a bird's nest...first the eggs, then the babies, the feeding and caring for the babies and then the actual pushing them out of the nest to learn to fly! One day your child/children will grow up and be ready to go out on their own and build their own lives. If you haven't used 'tough love' and taught them to be independent, they will have a hard time learning to build relationships and the life that God intended for them!

Next is love for your Granddarlings! Oh, this is the most wonderful love of all! Not only can you love that little 'continuation' of your and your husband/wife's love with all your heart, but you have had the wonderful experience of training, teaching, praying and learning patience with their mommy or daddy! Now you can love, play with and 100% enjoy your Granddarling and not have the responsibility that goes along with it! You also get the enjoyment of seeing your little Granddarlings pull or try to, the same things that their parent pulled or tried to on you when they were little! Oh, those 'paybacks' are wonderful! Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor???

The last love we are going to go over is the love for and from a true friend! This is another extremely special love! The Word of God says that in order to have a friend you have to be a friend and that a friend is closer than a brother! (Judy's paraphrase!)  If you in your lifetime are blessed with one or more  true friends, then you are a very wealthy person! What is a true friend? Well, a true friend is one who loves you for who you are and who you can talk to about anything and they will understand. They are like an extension of you! You all think alike, finish each other's sentences, you put each other first over yourselves. There is no jealousy, selfishness or envy! You can discuss anything without feelings being hurt, but with pure love, understanding, and support. A true friend is the 2nd opinion you need and the one you will take because you have each other's backs! There is nothing on earth that can become true friends...that is the main difference in friends and true friends! True friends share things with each other that they can't share with anyone else! I have been blessed with 3 true friends in my lifetime and the most important one of them is my daughter! I am a very blessed child of God!

All love is special because it comes from our Daddy and He IS love! When you truly love no matter if it's for God, your spouse, child/children, granddarlings or a true friend there is happiness, laughter, fulfillment and there is no controlling, envy, jealousy or selfishness! Oh, we being human will have times of differences and 'hurt feelings', but in truly loving someone there is also forgiveness. Just as our Daddy forgives us! And believe me...the fun, laughter, peace, companionship, enjoyment and total happiness totally outweigh the other! Always remember...in order to be loved you first have to love! ♡

Love and Blessings
Judy ♡