True Love

I placed the order on Black Friday, using the special 20% off coupon I had acquired. I waited. And waited. And finally the gift arrived in layers and layers of protective wrapping; such a tiny little thing.

She’ll love it, I thought. I know she will.

Filling the bag with other items, I expectantly handed it to her one day.

She was not excited. She was not jumping for joy. She simply didn’t understand why it was so important to me,

I walked away, disappointed.

In the middle of feeling sorry for myself about this, I suddenly realized: I wonder if this is how Jesus felt.

God had given us His Son, the greatest gift humanity has ever known.

And people

just

don’t

understand.

They don’t understand how important and wonderful that the gift of Jesus is! But do you know what Jesus’s response is?

He dies for them.

They don’t understand. Yet He still loves them.

He recieves nothing. No appreciation. No royal celebration. Not even a thank you.

But He didn’t do it because he wanted our appreciation, or understanding, or marvel.

He did it because He loved us.

And that, I realized, is what real love is. Gifts given with no expectation of appreciation, ceremony, reward, anything to give us leverage, because it’s not about us, but them.

To give and expect nothing in return. Simply because He loved you.

That’s what Jesus did.

I love you, and I don’t care if you don’t appreciate my gift or if you hurt me or wring my heart. I did it because I loved YOU, and that is what true love is.