Carolyn called to tell me about a session she had over in Tulsa in Bible Study Fellowship.  The teacher was talking about 1Corinthians 13:13: "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

She said that after its all over here on earth, that faith will cease to exist because it will be transformed into sight.  What we had as faith will become truth  and faith will no longer be needed.  She said that hope will cease to exist because everything we hoped for will be fulfilled.  And that the only thing that stays the same and lasts forever is love.

I referred Carolyn to a verse someone pointed out to me back in 1964 in a Bible study I attended.  1Thessalonians 1:3 talks about  "...your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  

I had never thought about the exercising of our faith being work.  Or faith being work.  I had never though about how much patience we have to have to wait on what we hope for.  But--I had thought about how hard it is sometimes to love.  It is laborious work.  

Some people are almost impossible to even like, much less love.

But we are called on to do it.  It is a labour of love.

Ken always reminded his Sociology classes that love is not an emotion.  It is a behavior.  You are what you do; you are not what you feel.  Feelings are fleeting.  They change day to day, depending on circumstances.  But love--real love--endures.  It is acted upon day by day in our lives even though sometimes it is hard.  Love is a commitment.  You do it.  And do it.  And do it again.