To the Extreme

Some might say I am too young to know have experienced real heartache. Others might say I’m too sensitive and I need to toughen up. But those who know me best (you know who you are) might tell you that if you come into my life and you need love, I will passionately and enthusiastically give it to you. I love to the extreme and without measure and because of this often experience heartache.

Obviously, different kinds of people receive different kinds of love from me but regardless of the kind of love you receive it will often be to the extremist of degrees. I don’t love the stranger who comes into my office needing gas money or groceries the same way that I love my family. I don’t love my family the same way I love my dog. You get the point. While I love fervidly and sometimes without much regard to my own well-being, my love is never lackadaisical or careless even if that sounds like a contradiction in terms.

When another person’s heart or well-being are on the line, I try never to be careless or lackadaisical because the last thing I want to do is be a source of heartache or pain. While I keep “the other’s” heart in mind seemingly at all cost, sometimes my fervidly passionate way of loving causes me to not think about my own heart or well-being.

You would think that loving others with such gusto it would be impossible for one’s heart not to be full but over time I have discovered that living life in such a way as this, loving passionately without abandon, can sometimes cause leave my own heart to feel empty and broken.

It doesn't really matter the source of the heartache, the death of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the loss of a pet, finding out someone you have helped has abused the help that was given, or some other reason (I’m sure you have your own), what matters is that heartbreak is quite possibly the worst experience we go through as human beings. It is the worst because no matter how much we try to deny it, ignore it, or run from it if we live our lives “right” heartbreak is something we will experience repeatedly. If we, who consider ourselves creatures of love, love to the extreme ability God the creator has given us, we will have an equal amount of occasions to experience heartbreak.

Now not every time we love someone or something will we experience heartache but seldom can escape that our fragile hearts are simply that, fragile. The good news though is that for as easily as our hearts can break it doesn't take much to mend them back together. If we allow ourselves time to mend what is broken we have the ability to love again each time a little stronger, a little wiser, a little more grateful. I prayer for you this Advent/Christmas season and always the ability to come back again to love to the extreme- that’s what I plan to do!