God is Love

      Recently I heard a young man say that because of the school that he had attended when he was younger, he did not know what love was, since they had shown no love to him.  As I heard that, I sat and puzzled, because I went to the same school that young man went to, and I sat in classes with him.  It was at that school that I myself learned what true love really is.  How could two people in the same school come away with two completely opposite views? 
      In the Bible, in I John 4:8 it says, "...God is love."  My conclusion from that verse is that if you do not know love, it is because you do not know God.  I attended Fairhaven Baptist Academy from 5th through 12th grades, and during my time there I learned what love was, because I learned about God and how His love can shine through those who know Him and allow Him to work through them.  At our recent Family Camp, I heard our guest speaker, Pastor Don Strange say that there were two kinds of love: Reel love, and Real love.  "Reel" love is the Hollywood kind of love that only loves to get something in return and stops loving if nothing is giving in return.  Real love is the kind of love that loves unconditionally, no matter what is received in return.  During my time in school, I saw and learned about real love.  The first real love I learned about was that of the Savior who died for me, expecting nothing in return and knowing that through my life I would many times hurt and disappoint Him.  I am so thankful that I know God and that because of that I have experienced His love.  Another place where I saw this love was in my teachers and in the staff at my school.  You see, they also knew God and showed His love to me.  They gave of their time and attention to me when I needed it, not expecting me to give them anything in return.  They prayed for me when I struggled, and rejoiced with me when God blessed me.  They never gave up on me, even when I did foolish things, and they were always willing to help me stand up when I fell and encourage me to move forward.  Today I myself am a teacher at a Baptist school, and many days I pray and hope that I can show the love to my students that my teachers showed to me every day.
       I feel sorry for those who cannot see the love of God around them because they choose not to see it.  I wish that they could know God as I have learned to know Him so that they could also know real love.