It’s all too easy to take each other for granted in relationships, isn’t it? Become like comfortable furniture to one another. Dependable and reliable, or so we hope. Desire, mingled with love, flickers like a faltering candle, setting chilly hearts aflame once more.
Our task is to nurture each tiny spark, watch to see that the candle doesn’t die out, remain vigilant in not taking one another for granted, whether we’re a long married couple, just setting out together, bringing up a family or going solo for a while.
Love and relationships need to be given priority, so that the candle flame of love doesn’t blow out with every breeze that blows, get snuffed out by an open window to the world (whereby extraneous people get invited in) caught in the crossfire of communication failure, lashed by harsh winds of confrontation, stubbed out in anger or left to die a slow death of neglect instead.
How is that achieved? Not with our fickle hearts or in our own limited strength alone. It takes heavenly resources to stoke the fires of love in our wayward hearts and maintain its heat through years of trouble and toil. It takes grace and guts, grit and sheer determination to rise above the emotional pain we are in and that which we unwittingly inflict on one another.
It takes faith and patience, perseverance, endurance and an ability to forgive again and again and again. It takes a willingness to admit we are wrong and an ability to talk things through, rather than pretend everything is fine. Honesty is a top priority. Only God can grant us these graces to love one another well, plant His pure, unconditional Love in our hearts and keep it alive to the end of time.
heat-sealed
it’s scabby with wax
this candle burning brightly
heat-sealed in our hearts
©joylenton
**Hi, if you’re new around here, welcome to my #write31days series of the daily haiku. To catch up you can access the rest of the posts here. A big grateful hug to all who have been following so far. This weary woman applauds you. We’re on the home straight, friends!** 🙂
Poetry Joy 
Dear Joy,
What an amazing amount of truth you have captured in those 3 short lines of Haiku. The scars and the scabs help hold our love together even more tightly, when we let the Lord continue His transforming in us! Thank you for these sweet encouragements today, my friend! Love & Hugs! xoxo
Dear Bettie, what an amazing eye for detail you have, and what a wonderful description of love’s scars you have given! I love your reply and totally agree with all you have said. God’s transformation makes all the difference in how we love one another, doesn’t it? Thank YOU for your faithful presence here and sweet encouragement. They both mean so much to me. Love and hugs! xoxo 😊💜
Reblogged this on Pastor Michael Moore's Blog and commented:
Let love shine ❤️❤️
Amen, my friend! Thank you so much for sharing, Michael. Blessings on your day. 😊💜
Beautiful! So full of compassion and wisdom.
Thank you for your kindness, Deborah. Though if there is any wisdom or compassion here, then it was wrought through struggle and pain. I can only write in this way now after failing to love well or wholeheartedly for many years. Maybe in learning how insufficient we are allows us to have compassion toward ourselves and others. We fall, falter and fail, and seek grace to begin again, and again. Bless you, my friend. xo 💜