End of 2024 – Thoughts

December 30th, 2024

Dearest reader,

Let me first say, “Thank you” for your continued support of my blog. I have had a good and blessed year although my posts have not reflected it. I hope to post more in 2025.

As I am reflecting on the past 12 months, the word “LOVE” is a constant in my thoughts. As many of you know, I am a fan of C. S. Lewis and he has a book that deals with this subject. It is called, “The Four Loves” it was published in 1960 based upon a set of radio talks from 1958. The book was criticized by the U. S. at the time for their frankness about sex.

The book is based upon the four Greek words for love:

• Affection: Storge – empathy bond.

Storge (storgē, Greek: στοργή) is liking someone through the fondness of familiarity, family members or people who relate in familiar ways that have otherwise found themselves bonded by chance.

• Friendship: Philia – friend bond.

Philia (Greek: φιλία) is the love between friends as close as siblings in strength and duration. The friendship is the strong bond existing between people who share common values, interests, or activities

• Eros: Eros – romantic love.

Eros (erōs, Greek: ἔρως) for Lewis was love in the sense of “being in love” or “loving” someone, as opposed to the raw sexuality.

• Charity: Agape – unconditional “God” love.

Charity (agápē, Greek: ἀγάπη) is the love that exists regardless of changing circumstances. Lewis recognizes this selfless love as the greatest of the four loves, and sees it as a specifically Christian virtue to achieve. 

I encourage you to read the book for yourself, Lewis also has a fictional book that speaks of these four loves, called “Until We Have Faces.” It is a beautiful book and a retelling of Cupid and Psyche. I highly recommend it and it has been regarded as his best novel by critics. It was written with his wife Helen Joy Davidman Lewis.

The next time you’re feeling down and maybe unloved, remember this…you are always loved. The ache comes when we love someone and they don’t love us the same in return is simply them being truthful and not trying to hurt you. It’s tough, no doubt but we move on and forward in life. God has a plan for you, God loves you, and He created you and only wants the very best for you. We can’t make others love us or even like us, we must like ourselves first and foremost as well as love and embrace who we are. Our first love should always be God, He specifically created you and me on purpose and with a plan. Let that sink in…God, intentionally created you and every other person because he wanted to and gave each of us purpose in this life. My heart breaks for those who feel like they have no on. I encourage everyone to please take the time to tell one another “you are loved, I love you.” We never know if we will get the chance again. Loving someone does not mean that you will never argue or disagree, but because of love, we can respect one another. And, no matter what, let love be the foundation of all your relationships.

1 John 4:7-21

God’s Love and Ours

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.  For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command:Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

My 2024, like many of you had its ups and downs. I’m choosing to remember the good and learn from the “downs” or challenges of the past year. Please join me in focusing on the good and let’s all try to Be Kind.

~Charlotte, Striving Towards Genuine Authentic Living As A Child Of God 💞

Below are some references if you are interested in learning more about C. S. Lewis.

References:

• https://www.cslewis.com/us/

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_We_Have_Faces