God's Love and Lemonheads

God's Love and Lemonheads
Aqualyn Toi Jones
I'm in search of the ultimate synonym.

I'm trying to think of every possible way to describe God's love without using the word 'love.' Let's face it - that expression is misused possibly more than any other word in our language. It really doesn't matter what language you speak.

The word just doesn't hold the weight that it should.

Recently, I came across a writing prompt that instructed you to jot down a list of everything that you love. It was supposed to help me discover what I'm passionate about and in turn, possible topics for a good story.

Well, two 8 ½-by-11 pages later, I quit. I wasn't finished; I just stopped. As soon as I wrote one thing down, another popped into my head.

That simple activity showed me a few things.

One, I love a lot of people and things. Two, I mistakenly use the word 'love' to describe things that I like a lot. Or things that I like "right now." Certain items will never be erased from that list: family, books, lemonheads, etc. Other items should've never been included at all (I won't embarrass myself with those examples).

Thirdly, I realized that I have no idea of what God's love really is. It's truly incomprehensible. I know and believe that He sent Jesus because of that love. Yet, my finite mind doesn't totally get it.

The word 'Love' is likely abused more in relationships than in any other context. On our best day, our love still has a touch of "conditional" in it. We say it to our parents, children, spouses, and friends. Then we contradict it with our actions, which limits our perception.

At some point in time, we all struggle to understand why and how God loves us so much. We start to think that His love is like ours. I use the word 'love' to describe my favorite clothing store, TV shows, and candy.

How can I understand His love if I'm comparing it to those things? How can I accept His love if I think it comes with a side order of strings attached to it?

You and I will never fully know the depth of the Father's love for us.
But I do believe we can understand it better.

When we experience new mercies every morning, we know He loves us. When He spares your life in a near-fatal accident, you will appreciate His love. As He continuously forgives you, supplies your needs, and heals your heart, you will better grasp how much He loves you.

I'm the one that needs a synonym to describe my affection for the things on my list. There's no word that can adequately describe God's love. My list of things is limited. His listing, well...it has no end.



Toi Jones is a writer and an advocate for youth, underdogs, and all things (and people) that are broken and overlooked. Compassionate at her core, Toi is also an educator, a mentor, and a supporter of multiple initiatives for South Africa. For more information about Toi, log onto www.bewrite-livewrite.typepad.com.