Love is T.I.M.E.

We make time for the people we love. We make time to do the things we want to do. We make time for the people whose company we enjoy. If you want someone to know that you love them give them your time. Time shows them that they matter to you. If you don’t make a plan to spend time with someone or do a certain thing it may never happen.

We all have the same amount of time each day. It is up to us to decide how we will spend it.

It has been said that ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’. This actually indicates spending less time with those we love or less time doing the things we enjoy. Does this actually make the heart grow fonder though? If a loved one is working away or overseas then maybe this could be the case. The love and commitment would need to be very strong though to be able to endure long periods apart. Generally speaking, being absent from a loved one would depend upon the circumstances as to whether the heart would grow fonder or not. If a loved one was in hospital then this could be the case and also if the absence is due to bereavement, fondness may increase as they miss their loved one.

We are currently facing a pandemic and are going through a lockdown period. People are not able to spend time with their loved ones like they usually would. I suspect fondness would increase as people long to be reunited if the relationship is already strong but if it is a new relationship there is a chance that love may dwindle and fizzle out. Other methods of communication are being utilised during this time to keep the dialogue flowing. People are using various methods of visual facetime apps etc so they can at least see their loved ones if they are unable to meet up in person. There is also the telephone and email/letter writing as well as message sending mobile apps.

We were created in the image of God, for relationship with God and relationship with others. God did not create us to exist on our own. We thrive when we know we are wanted and loved. Making time for your relationships is essential if you want the relationship to grow strong. How do you get to know someone if you do not invest your time in getting to know them?

As a Christian I spend time each day seeking God. Each morning I have a cup of tea, read my Bible, pray and write in my journal. I try to listen to what God wants to say to me and I share my thoughts and feelings with Him too. In the gospel of Matthew, a lawyer and expert of the law asked Jesus what the most important commandment is, Jesus responded, “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is to love your neighbour as yourself.” This can be found in the Bible in Matthew 22:36-40. In order to be able to love God we need to take time to get to know Him by reading the Bible and asking Him to show us what He is like and how we can love Him.

We also need to allocate time for loving ourselves and take care of our health and wellbeing. If we do not take time for ourselves this can result in negativity, low self-esteem and fatigue which can wreak havoc on relationships and we will be unable to love our neighbours. Self-neglect can lead a person to believe that no one cares about them. An unfortunate event, or simply getting old could one day rob you of the ability to take time to care for yourself so while you can, take the time to look after yourself.

So, live every moment with love in mind.

Love for God, love for yourself and love for your neighbours!