The meaning of the most important four-letter word in our language.
LOVE:
Love is found when you don't have to give it. It is the emotion of generosity & kindness that is compelled by no one. it is performed on the battlefield, in our daily tasks, in the marketplace, the factories, @ school, in the offices, and in the halls & corridors of government... But only when one truly gives of himself & without compulsion. No force, no law, no coercion can cause one to love... It cannot be arranged. It is freely chosen & freely given and not given only when life flows along like a song.
     True love is like a metal tested in a fire. fires of adversity surround us daily. Are we to love when it is merely convenient? Like gold or silver, which very hot fires must heat to purge them of impurities, love must be thrust into the fire from time to time to make it purer, stronger and more resilient. And in the same way, love shines its brightest right out of the flame.

     The beauty of the rose and its fragrance? There's another example of the quality that I'm trying to explain to you. the fragrance is found in the blossoms of the rose. The blossoms are found after the rosebud opens. Notice the stem on the rose bush. Notice that the bud doesn't even open until the thorns, those prickly things that can stick you & cause you to bleed, are fully formed. It's as if the rose bush is saying, "No! You can't have my bautiful flowers and the sweet smell of their petals. If you try to take one, I'll hurt you!" Is  it worth risking the thorns to have the rose? It's where the blossoms dwell. Above the thorns, you will find the prize.

     The great discovery i have made is that we are all free. All of us experience disappointment--the thorns in life---rich, poor, male, female, it doesn't matter. And we may either praise God for the opportunity to reach for the prize or curse him for our fate.