In my normal read through the Bible, I just happened to be on I Corinthians 13 the day after Valentine’s Day. It talks about charity or love and is some of the most profound prose ever written or translated into the English language. It is nice to be reminded that there are different kinds of love. The love in this chapter is not romantic love. The Greek word agápe is translated to the English word “charity” in the King James Version of the Bible and refers to the unconditional love of God. It is good for me to be reminded of this frequently. There is nothing more important.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Who knew homeschool would lead to something like this? My Dad bought me two brand new suits when I was about 30. I needed them when I moved from an engineering function to a sales function in my first “real” job that was something that more than just a way to earn money to get by. Neither he nor I could afford it at the time, but he did it anyway. Now, I get to return the favor.
I am dying to see how he looks, but the suits are currently with the tailor and will not be available until I leave on my next trip to Arizona.
I would love to buy some of this same stuff for myself, but I am still holding on to the illusion that I might lose some weight some day before too long. Well, that and the fact that I do not have any mone left after making all these big expenditures. I called my Dad and had a nice talk with him about it. I do not think he even remembered that he had done it nor how much it meant to me. He just always did whatever he could to help us. I really hope that Christian gets to do this for one or two of his own sons someday.
We were all stuck in the house over the last several days, but that did not stop us from finding a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day eating fattening stuff! Actually this was quite nice. We sat on the couch and ate it all.