[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Thursday, April 26 2012

[Paul]

Good evening to all of you who reside in North America.  I hope that your day is going well and, if you read this message before you go to bed, I hope that your sleep will be peaceful and tranquil.  On the other hand, if you read this message first thing in the morning, I hope that your sleep went well.  With all the people receiving this message, I can't tell when it is read.

Our inspirational poem for this evening comes from the pen of a wonderful poetess who was born in the town of Lorraine Ohio about 30 miles west of Cleveland.  Now I don't know about you, but her poetry speaks to me in a way that nothing else can.  The particular poem chosen for this evening is entitled "What Is Love"? and was written by none other than Helen Steiner Rice.  The poem is rendered as follows:

What is love? No words can define it.
It's something so great only God could design it.
Wonder of wonders, beyond man's conception
Only in God can love find true perfection.

For love means much more than small words can express,
For what man calls love is so very much less
Than the beauty and depth and the true richness of God's gift to mankind of compassion from above;
For love has become a word that's misused,
Perverted, distorted, and often abused,
To speak of light romance and infinity for,
A passing attraction that is seldom much more
Than a mere interlude of inflamed fascination,
A romantic fling of no lasting duration.

But love is enduring and patient and kind,
It judges all with the heart, not the mind.
And love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace.
For love is unselfish, giving more than it takes
And no matter what happens love never forsakes.
It's faithful and trusting and always believing,
Guileless and honest and never deceiving.
Yes, love is beyond what man can define,
For love is immortal and God's gift is divine!

And there you have it for this evening.  Pretty profound sentiments, I think, from the pen of Helen Steiner Rice.

And now will close this message, hoping that if you read it before you go to bed, that your sleep will be sweet.  Your Christian brother, Paul Barnabas