Faith and Hope and Love – Love is the greatest… Love…

I love these Joni Mitchell lyrics based on scripture – about Love being the greatest.

“Love suffers long – Love is kind – Love has no evil in mind… “

Yes – and as I listen to the songs (links below) – I am reminded how in part we are – we are seeing only in part and must trust the rest…

Love sees as a whole – we see as a part – this is so true in my life and in our lives – we only see in part and if we could see love as a whole then we would not experience the brokenness that we do – we sort of have to look around the corner to when we will know love fully as God loves – and trust until we get there. This trust in God gives us the opportunity to forgive – to move forward. This trust in God gives us the time to ponder the patience we lack. I do trust God – and of enduring hoping trusting faith – AND LOVE – Love must be the strongest and greatest and what we seek out to know even if we will never understand in whole until we know God in whole – of which we will always be journeying. 

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

My friend told me that I was not confident enough in myself for something I was waiting approval for – and I thought about that – it is not just that I am not confident that I will get what I need – I thought yeah, it is that I am not confident enough in God to give me what HE thinks I need…  and right now He must be thinking I need to learn patience.  And He must be finding the trust in me to keep working while I am waiting… Keep doing my part and let Him take care of the Whole. Yes Lord – I will see your greatness in this – I will see that Love has no evil in mind and therefore I should also trust and not let my mind run rampant into the bad thoughts…  I will keep trusting and know that only one day is revealed to me – trust is that I will wake up and start again – but actually trust is that I will wait upon the Lord and see His Love come to fruition in ways that I would never see. I only see in part but must love in whole.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Amen – and please do listen to the songs, and read the scripture below.

original Joni Mitchell 1982 in Wild Things albumhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faaJqFVP__Q

recreated slower version 2017 in Travelogue album

Lyrics https://jonimitchell.com/music/lyricsprint.cfm?id=252  

Love
by Joni Mitchell

Although I speak in tongues
Of men and angels
I’m just sounding brass
And tinkling cymbals without love

Love suffers long
Love is kind!
Enduring all things
Love has no evil in mind

If I had the gift of prophecy
And all the knowledge
And the faith to move the mountains
Even if I understood all of the mysteries
If I didn’t have love
I’d be nothing

Love never looks for love
Love’s not puffed up
Or envious
Or touchy
Because it rejoices in the truth
Not in iniquity
Love sees like a child sees

As a child I spoke as a child
I thought and I understood as a child
But when I became a woman
I put away childish things
And began to see through a glass darkly

Where as a child I saw it face to face
Now I only know it in part
Fractions in me
Of faith and hope and love
And of these great three
Love’s the greatest beauty
Love
Love
Love

————-

Scripture: Paul in the Letter 1 Corinthians 13 NKJV 

The Greatest Gift
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.