Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Love Hurts

While in Mexico with some of our youth group, I jokingly started singing the song Love Hurts. Focusing on the line, "love is like a flame it burns you when it's hot." Some of the kids laughed about this and I have had a few say to me since our return, "remember Mr. Mead, love hurts." All of this was done in jest and we still have a good laugh about it. But that idea has been stuck in my head. Maybe there is some truth to this idea that "love hurts."
The song was originally written by the Everly Brothers, 48 years ago this month. Many groups and individuals have re-done the song, but the version I am most familiar with was done by a group called Nazareth in 1975. It is actually a pretty good song. Not very original. Sounds like someone got dumped by a girl friend and has now realized love has the ability to hurt you.
I have been reminded recently that there is a high risk and reward process to love. The song says "love is just a lie made to make you blue." I would disagree. It can certainly make you blue. But it is not a lie. It is essential to our existence, and well worth the risk.
I have discovered that the ones we love the most have the ability to hurt us at very deep levels. To fully give our hearts away is a scary proposition. It leaves us naked and exposed. This is always a risk.  The truth is some people refuse to take that risk. They think they can protect themselves from pain and then try to experience some small level of love that always leaves them wanting more. It happens in marriages, friendships, parents and children and children and parents, even fully loving ourselves.
The opening line says this, "Love hurts, love scars." I would agree. But maybe the scars simply reflect that we are alive. I think we should get to the end of our time here and have a few scars because we chose to love. You can play it safe and sit on the sideline, never allow your heart to fully love. You may pursue a life that will never experience the battle scars of love. If you take that path, your marriage will never be all it could be. Your friendships will never go to the level you desire them to be. You will not leave the imprint on the world that God intended for you to leave.
Go ahead, be risky. I guess love does hurt, but the blessings of fully loving, quickly wash away the pain.
I am reminded that God's word tells us that "God is love." With that thought I will leave you with a quote I found, from Sir James M. Barrie.
"If you have it (love), you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have."

Peace, todd

4 comments:

Andi Hawkins said...

I remember looking at Toby right after he was born and thinking I loved him so much it hurt. It hasn't quit...

Unknown said...

It seems so simple and yet it can be so hard sometimes! I heartily agree that you've gotta be vulnerable to get anywhere. That's a good reminder.

Reading this made me think of me and Jake's premarital counseling with you and Natalie. You said something akin to it being scary to really open yourself up and give everything you've got, because you're worried you'll be drained, but if you're both doing it, it's so much more rewarding than not doing it. I think that can be applied to any relationship. I think about that a lot.

Beka Bullard said...

I like the part about being scarred a little bit. When Chris and I went through everything I would listen to a song a pray the lyrics that said, "Heal the wound, but leave the scar." At times I still pray that today. Things are AMAZING now, but I never want to forget how selfish desires can leave us so wounded. Oh, and I love how you always use songs to explain your points!! You crack me up with that. We miss ya'll!!

Andimac said...

Love is scary. Seems like if you dont have trust love just makes people insane. How does one get to the trust part so the love part is not so ....