i saw love today...

...in the form of a devoted elderly husband, Bob. His wife, Ruth, is way gone into dementia and advanced Alzheimers. And yet he visits her constantly, never deserting her, despite the fact that she cannot give back to him anymore. His longtime family friend, a retired woman has stood by the couple as the wife deteriorated through the years. The pastor and I went to visit Ruth on her birthday today, hand-delivering her birthday card, though she can no longer recognize anyone or understand what is being said to her. As I entered the room, I saw the retired woman stroking Ruth's face, touching her with the greatest love and senstivity and comforting...treating her as a human being. My eyes all but welled up with tears. But even more I felt those tears coming as I saw how Bob looked at Ruth...seeing in her perhaps the joys of past years...feeling in his heart the great sorrow of losing her daily, little-by-little. And yet, he too stood beside her, stroking her face, massaging her temples, loving and cherishing her..."til death us do part." And I thought of how feeble my own love sometimes is, in comparison with such devotion. Don't get me wrong...I have no illusions that Bob feels happy or romantic about his situation. It is probably a daily grief, a dull ache, something unfulfilling and empty inside. But Bob...and his friend...know what real love means...it is love poured out for the good of another, regardless of whether one gets something in return. It is standing by someone, even when they are weak, unattractive, unable to do anything for themselves anymore. It is sacrificial. And nothing in this world is more beautiful...I hope that--despite the pain--he knows that.