True Love E= ndures
&nbs= p; “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not pr= oud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in= evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hope= s, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
&nbs= p; We have all attended weddings where this verse is read or displayed. I have ha= d a chance to see this verse put to life in my grandparents’ 56 years of marriage.
&nbs= p; Four months ago we received a phone call at 5:30 in the morning. It was my grand= ma calling to tell us that my grandpa fell in the hallway of their house and w= as unconscious. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he underwent ma= jor brain surgery shortly after arriving. The doctors told us he had a very ser= ious brain injury similar to one a person would get from a car wreck, and they w= ere not giving us much hope. We had no explanation for why my grandpa had falle= n, and it is still a mystery today. After a long stay in the hospital, he was finally sent to a nursing home, which is where he is now. I have watched my grandma through all of this, and she has remained right by his side. She has exhibited every characteristic of love to my grandpa during this extremely = hard time, teaching me what true love really is.
&nbs= p; Since the day my grandpa fell, my grandma has been right there with him. She has learned to take his progression step-by-step, one day at a time. She has be= en told since the very beginning that it will be a long, slow recovery, but she refuses to give up and sticks with him every moment. Even though my grandpa cannot say what he needs or wants, my grandma makes sure she does everythin= g she can for him each day. Because of the love she has for him, she knows exactly how he would want things done and tries to do it his way. Every morning she brushes his teeth and makes sure his whiskers are shaved. Since he does not move his arms much, she keeps pillows under them making sure they are alway= s in a comfortable position. She sits with him, speaks encouraging words to him,= and holds his hand everyday, and she never complains about it or gives up on hi= m. From early in the morning until late at night she is taking care of him. She has virtually put her life on hold to meet the needs of the one she loves. = The pain of seeing the man she loves dearest in this condition is unbearable, b= ut her devotion and love for him keeps her pressing on each day.
&nbs= p; In the world we live in, throw-away, short-term relationships are everywhere. = My grandparents’ marriage is a wonderful example of what true love should be. When my grandma said, “through sickness and in health” at h= er wedding, she really meant it. I wish we could all be fortunate enough to fi= nd someone like my grandma to spend our lives with.
&nbs= p; “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what= you are expecting to give – which is everything.” – Katherine Hepburn