God's love for us is everlasting. That means that God's
love for us existed before we were born and will exist
after we have died. It is an eternal love in which we are
embraced. Living a spiritual life calls us to claim that
eternal love for ourselves so that we can have temporal
loves --- for parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, friends,
spouses, and all people who become a part of our lives---
as reflections or refractions of God's eternal love. No
fathers or mothers can love their children perfectly.
No husbands or wives can love each other with unlim -
ited love. There is no human love that is not broken
somewhere.
When our broken love is the only love we can have, we
are easily thrown into despair, but when we can live our
broken love as a partial reflection of God's perfect, uncon-
ditional love, we can forgive one another our limitations
and enjoy together the love we have to offer.
From: BREAD for the JOURNEY
A DAYBOOK
of WISDOM and FAITH
By: HENRI J. M. NOUWEN
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