carbonated joy

As I write this our amazing daughter, Delanie, is about two months away from getting married.
So many thoughts and emotions are flooding my mind and my heart.
I’m feeling a little sentimental.
The spunky five year old who went on daily slurpee dates with me has grown up.
Through the last 21 years, I’ve tried to teach her a few things about life and love.
And now as she leaves our home to make her own home with a super cool bass player, I find myself full of needless, last minute, frantic fatherly advice…
Advice about parenting and parking, jobs and jazz, money and Mexican food.
fortunately for Del, I’ve been able to keep most of my advice to myself.
BUT…I do have some words of grizzled wisdom for Delanie and Jordan and…well…every other human being.
I can condense my relationship advice into two words…
Love covers.
Yup…pretty simple…
Love covers.
Love doesn’t compare.
It doesn’t cut.
Love says I’ve got you and you’re safe.
Love says you can be safe in the knowing that no one will ever hear me criticize you.
We all need to know that there is always at least one other person on this cruel planet who will ALWAYS have our back.
Love covers.
Love creates a safe place for you to be the best flavor of you.
Love creates breathing room to be human.
Love covers.
Love says I’m your biggest fan, you are pretty much my favorite.
Anything that makes you feel like “less than” is not love.
Love covers.
Love says we won’t always agree, we will bug each other. Nobody else has to know that. It’s really none of their business.
Love burns away blame.
Love isn’t license.
It doesn’t cover up.
Love doesn’t ignore or excuse.
None of us get love right all the time.
But we realize the weight of our words and we do our best.
Love covers.
Love promotes.
Love never throws someone under the bus.
It buys you a bus ticket and helps you get home.
Nobody’s perfect, love protects the imperfections
Love keeps no record of wrong. It doesn’t keep score.
1 Peter 4:8 says “continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
Love covers.
Love believes.
I think this single practice is more valuable than a big bank account.
You can’t put a price tag on honor.
It is true security.
You will constantly have opportunities to damage the hearts that you hold most dear.
When you live up close to someone it’s easy to take cheap shots.
DON’T DO IT.
Don’t take the easy path.
Protect the hearts that have been given to you.
LOVE COVERS.