Someone on here had recently posted something about what kids described as "love". Anyhow, I remembered something this evening that's an excellent example of how to know if you're loved. Well, I thought I'd share the following true story with everyone on here.....
We had some chickens about 10 years ago. We had kinda made pets out of a few of them. Anyway, one very cold winter night (there was freezing rain that night) we decided to go down to where the rooster and hen had roosted for the night. When we got down there, we noticed that the rooster and hen had roosted beside each other for the night. The rooster had positioned himself over the hen so that she wouldn't get as cold or covered in ice like him. The rooster had ice sickles clinging to his comb and beards...but the hen was safe from the freezing rain because he was standing with his chest feathers over her so that her head wouldn't get covered with ice. :)
Question: How do we know the rooster loved that hen??? It's easy to answer that question...because there's no way he would've sheltered her from the cold like that unless he loved her. :)
Now there's something I need to let you young ladies know: When you're dating/courting a guy and he sacrifices his plans, money, time, or anything else for you...then please remember to be thankful to him...and not in words alone, but more importantly in actions. And also be thankful to God...because that guy and his love toward you is not a right...it's a privilege and a blessing! And the same is true for the guys who have a young lady who sacrifices her plans, money, time, or anything else for you...it is not a right, it's a privilege and a blessing to have a young lady who loves you and shows it by her actions!
My point is this: Love, if it is "true love", is not spoken by words alone...so if you have to choose, then share your life with someone special who shows you by their actions that you're loved. And another thing, as the pastor at church has said..."Many people miss out on their blessings because they're too busy looking around and focusing on what God blessed someone else with...instead of focusing on the blessing that God is trying to hand them." And also..."Don't complain about the blessing God provides...because someone who has less than you do would love to have what you've got." One final thing, God can take a blessing away if we don't treat it properly.
I've realized something very important about blessings...and it's kinda like this: If you're focusing on what everyone else has, instead of focusing on the blessing God has for you, then you'll miss out on your blessing. Why??? Because receiving blessings is like taking photos with a camera. If you're paying close attention, the moment to "snap the picture" will present itself and you'll get a really great shot. On the other hand, if you aren't paying close attention, the moment to "snap the picture" will appear and disappear right before you...and then you'll have missed it without realizing until after it's too late. You have to be ready so that you won't miss out when the moment arrives. So...if at all possible, don't let your blessings get away from you. Be ready and willing to accept each blessing as it comes.
Let me give you another example of how you can miss out on a blessing. The following true story from my own life is an excellent example of what happens when we lean on our own understanding instead of being content with the situation by trusting God. First of all, I'm a whitetail deer hunter...and I've been a deer hunter ever since I was about 10 years old. Anyway, a few years ago I went with my dad to hunt somewhere local. I got my climbing treestand put on a tree so that I could climb up the tree to hunt. However, I was almost up the tree when I suddenly became dissatisfied due to a number of technical problems. So there I was, halfway up the tree complaining to myself...and I was rather disgusted! Why??? Because the wind was blowing like crazy (so I couldn't hear if a deer was approaching), plus it was only an hour or so of daylight left to hunt that day, and the tree that my climbing treestand was attached to wasn't shaped exactly right (which meant I couldn't climb the tree as easily). I WAS MAD!!! After getting very frustrated over the issue to do with the shape of the tree, I was so mad that I felt like the hunting trip was nothing but a waste for me. Anyway, there I was, halfway up the tree for probably 45 minutes or more. I didn't know what to do. I still wanted to hunt, but I didn't feel like the situation was working in my favor. Anyhow, while in the midst of "my own understanding", I suddenly caught a glimpse of something moving in the corner of my eye...and much to my astonishment, there was a large "buck" (8 pointer) headed in my direction! However, it was at that very moment when I began to realize that God had intended to bless our hunting trip. Problem is, I needed to have been content by making the best of the situation in order to be ready for the blessing...but due to the circumstances, I had leaned on "my own understanding"...and by doing so, I had made one very critical mistake. Guess where my weapon was??? My weapon was still on the ground at the base of the tree with a rope tied to it so that I could pull it up to me once I got settled. Problem is, I had never gotten settled yet...and now the deer was already on the scene...so there was basically no way for me to pull my weapon up without frightening away the deer. Now all I could do was watch the rather large "buck" walk by and disappear into the woods on the opposite side of me. Several minutes later, I wasn't mad at the previous circumstances anymore...instead, I was mad at myself for leaning on "my own understanding"...mainly because I figured my ignorance had cost me the blessing. A few days later, I received the blessing anyhow...which proves that sometimes God is merciful by allowing us another chance to receive the blessing if we miss it the first time. However, I was very fortunate that God blessed me with another chance to have the original blessing! Life doesn't work that way most of the time...which is exactly why we need to be ready to receive our blessings the first time.
You make some excellent points. I really liked the little story about the rooster and the hen. True love is more than just words. It is action. When it comes to people, when you really love someone, you will Profess, Provide and Protect. Maybe the rooster couldn't speak, but his actions were clear. I bet that hen knew she was loved! LOL
