The Remarkable Strength of Simple Love
“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.” These profound words by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta resonate deeply in our hearts. Love, a seemingly simple word, holds within it the potential for profound transformation and boundless joy. In this post, let’s explore the concept of love, its authentic essence, and the transformative power it holds when we embrace it in its most ordinary forms.
Simplified Love Love is a word we often use lightly, but by doing so, we risk diluting its true meaning. Instead of representing purity, selflessness, and compassion, it can become tainted, self-centered, and driven by our personal desires. We stumble upon moments of love and hoard them as treasures. We become so attached to the feeling of love that we forget what love is meant to be – a gift.
The beautiful paradox of love is that it flourishes when we give it away. As long as we keep it locked within ourselves, it remains stagnant. But the moment we begin to share it, it multiplies within us in ways we could never have imagined. Love is an eternal spring; the more we draw from it, the more it overflows.
Challenges of Loving Others Giving love away may sound easy, but in reality, it’s far from it. We often crave being loved more than we desire to love others. Throughout generations, we’ve been conditioned to prioritize our own needs and wants over those of others. We share only when we have “extra” to spare, shy away from discomfort, and fear vulnerability.
Practical Steps Towards Ordinary Love
- Small Acts of Kindness: Start with simple gestures like genuinely smiling at strangers, letting a car merge in traffic, or giving the last piece of dessert to a loved one.
- Support in Silence: Send a heartfelt card to someone going through a tough time, lend an empathetic ear to those who need to share their burdens, and be there without judgment.
- Embrace Self-Acceptance: Judge yourself less, and accept yourself more. When you love and accept yourself, you can more readily extend that love to others.
- Daily Reminders: Make it a habit to consciously love others in the way you wish to be loved. Set a daily intention to seek out opportunities for acts of kindness.
The opportunities to love are boundless, and the more we actively seek them, the more they appear before us. It’s astonishing to realize that these opportunities have always existed, but we were too preoccupied with our desires to see them. Moreover, we often fail to recognize the countless times others have shown us love in its quietest, most ordinary forms.
In closing, let us reflect on another gem of wisdom from St. Mother Teresa: “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” Indeed, the extraordinary power of ordinary love lies in its ability to heal, transform, and fill our lives with boundless joy. So, let us continually seek the courage to love, for it is in these acts of love that our true strength lies. 💖 #LoveInSimpleActs #SpiritualSunday
