Love Never Fails

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

I’m gonna just come right out with it: it’s been a rough couple of days.

So I apologize for my absence this past Thursday.

What was I doing?

I was breaking someone’s heart.

Please don’t read that in a “My-Milkshake-Brings-All-the-Boys-to-the-Yard” kind of a way.


But rather, in a “I-just-had-to-hurt-someone-that-I-care-about-deeply-and-am-feeling-tremendously-guilty-and-full-of-sorrow-because-of-it” kind of a way.

As you know, this year, I have decided to be open to love.

And in an effort to do just that, I revisited a relationship with the boy I wrote this post about. I wanted to explore the chemistry. Put my toe in the water. See if there was anything there.


And there was. At least, for him. But for me, I just wasn’t feeling it. He’s an amazing guy, but when it comes to romantic feelings, I just couldn’t see him as more than a brother.

And it’s a shame. Because I truly do find his character, his heart, his faith very attractive. But I just couldn’t shake the “brotherly” feeling I had with him.

But more than that, I knew deep down that I still had more work to do, loving myself, before I could receive his love. For, the ultimate act of self-love is allowing another person to love me.

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So I had to tell him before his feelings got more advanced than they already were.

And let me tell you: hurting people sucks.

But afterwards, I was feeling really down. Aside from the guilt from causing someone I care about pain, I was also angry at myself. I found the Voice of ED snaking his way back into my head with things like, Of course you couldn’t love him — you’re incapable of that. You’ve just thrown away your last chance at love. You’re destined to be alone. You’re unlovable.

I found myself beating myself up.

And when you’re in that head space, it’s really hard to come up with inspiring words for a blog about hope and self-love.


So what did I do? I turned to the bible.

Isn’t it funny how sometimes, we are given exactly what we need to hear, when exactly, we need to hear it


I randomly flipped open to this.

1st Corinthians.

Love is patient, love is kind…

Now I’m going to stop you right there. Because if you’re like me, if I were to go on, you’d just glaze over it because we’ve heard that verse SO. MANY. TIMES. at weddings.

But I think that, since we associate it so heavily with marriage, that we can miss a very powerful passage.

Try reading this, thinking not about love for another person, but love for yourself.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
It does not seek its own interests,
It is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
It does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

Whaaaaat?!! Crazy right?! You’re like picking up the pieces from your blown mind off the floor right now, aren’t you?

So am I.


I mean, I could talk for probably 3000 words on each and every phrase in that passage, but I’m going to stick to my top 3.

Love is patient.

 

Right off the bat. God is reminding me that self-love is patient. So I’m not truly ready to be in love yet. That’s okay. I need to be patient with myself. The anorexia I endured left some very large and very real wounds that take time to heal. I should celebrate the fact that I gave love a shot. Tested the waters. I was open to it.

But the truth is, I’m still blossoming into the woman God made me to be. And I’m blooming at my own pace. I need to remember that and be patient in love with myself. The day will come when I am truly ready for love. But that day is not today. And that’s okay.

Love bears all things/does not brood over injury

These I think go hand in hand, so I’m going to count them as one.

My past is not pretty. Anorexia is a wounding attack against the self. A deliberate injury to the self. But love bears all things. Even that. God’s love for me. My family’s love for me. And yes, my love for me. It needs to not brood on that past harm, but move forward from it. And flourish, even with that period of darkness plaguing my history. Love bears all things.

  

Lastly, love rejoices with the truth.

Truth. In today’s world, it’s hard to know what that is. Really. It has been so skewed and adapted and stretched and eroded at, that we can hardly recognize it when we see it. But there is one that I know to be true: I am loved, and I am worthy of love. Period. Okay, so maybe that’s two…big whoop.

But that’s it. That’s the truth. I am loved by God to a degree that is incomprehensible. And I am worthy of love.

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The first truth, I whole heartedly know, believe, and claim.

The second…I’m still working on.

I thought I was a lot farther along on that journey, but seeing how things with that boy turned out, it appears I still have work to do

I am worthy of love, because God deemed me worthy to die on a Cross for.

[Self] love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [Self] love never fails.

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beautybeyondbones

BBB: Because we're all recovering from something. // For speaking/business inquiries: beautybeyondbones@yahoo.com

285 thoughts on “Love Never Fails”

  3. I am glad to know you read a bible 🙂 and yes be patient somebody is there for you. I actually prayed constantly to God for the best man to come into my life and so he did grant me my wishes! Praying is a powerful tool.

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    1. Thank you Vinneve. That’s a beautiful name btw. Oh that’s awesome! I’m so happy for yes. Yes, I dwell in the peace and comfort of knowing that He is preparing the man for me this very minute. Thanks for that reminder. Hugs

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi friend, you’re so right. It was not fair to him to continue on. I tried to give it a fair shot, seeing if those romantic feelings would grow, but as soon as he became clearly more invested, I had to be honest and level with him. It was the loving thing to do. Because I do truly care about him. Enough to let him go love someone that can love him back. Thanks for reading. Hugs xx

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’m not anorexic but I am so very thin. I lost my appetite when I discovered that my ex had acquired yet another tramp. Tell me, do you really believe God hears you? I used to be very religious. I prayed every single day. His answer was always no. Somewhere, I stopped praying.

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    1. Hi Laurel, thank you for sharing this. I’m sorry about your ex. You deserve someone who respects you and treats you like the precious gift you are:) and yes, I do believe that God hears me. My life is a testimony to that fact. He saved me from death to anorexia. But in the midst of the suffering, I didn’t think that God heard me. I thought he had abandoned me. But it was in that time that (I recognize now) that He was upholding me and carrying me. He was what got me through, even though I thought i was alone. I hope that makes sense ❤️ sending so much love to you, my friend xox

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      1. It makes sense and I do believe there were times He sent his angels to protect me but I don’t understand how so much grief can be bestowed on one person. Just being selfish, I guess.

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      2. I don’t think it’s selfish at all. Suffering is one of the most difficult things to understand. I don’t pretend to fully understand it, but I do believe that He is with us through it. And I know there’s a lot that I don’t know-that I will never know until we meet our Maker. But grief is so very hard. Sending you so much love and hugs right now ❤️❤️❤️❤️

        Liked by 1 person

  7. So, I may have broken the rules about reading from the oldest to the newest…but I did read a few of the old posts first. One of which included “Missing Out on Love…” and then this one. I just wanted to say that I have a husband now…whom I did not marry until I was 33…and one day about 5 years into our marriage, I thought of the verse “Love covers a multitude of sins.” I had always thought of that verse in the selfish way…as in, I was the one who had the love that was covering someone else’s sins. Let me say here that my husband is quite scatterbrained and often forgets important things or things I have asked him repeatedly to do. But he LOVES me. One day, I realized that it HIS love for me that was covering his sins and not my extravagant love covering over them. He loved me so much that I didn’t mind that he forgot things. It took a little of the pressure off of me. You will know when you find that person. Don’t rush it. It’s not worth it. Being alone is better than being with the wrong person.

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    1. Thank you for this note of encouragement. What a beautiful perspective on that verse. I too have only thought of it in a selfish way, but seeing it with this filter now is so enlightening. So thank you ☺️☺️☺️so happy for you that you found The One☺️☺️☺️❤️

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  8. Let me add, that I could have married before that…I had been engaged twice. I am SO glad that the Lord led me away from those situations. Wait for the real thing.

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  10. Hello B. I want to thank you for liking my stuff today. It meant a lot to me, I want you to know that chapter 2 will be posted tomorrow and it is entitled the fears of my peers. I want you to know that because you have gone out of your way to read my stuff I want you to know that like the Randy Newman song says you got a friend in me.

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    1. Thank you so much coffee nut! 🙂 cute name btw! But seriously I’m really glad this resonated with you tonight. Self love is a difficult journey, but one to freedom that is totally worth it. One day at a time. Thanks for stopping by ❤️❤️❤️

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  12. The number one fact, you know you are loved by God and he died on the cross for you. My friend, many many do not even know this yet, in their journey. You are getting very very close to taking a leap of faith and to love someone deeply. I know in my heart God has BIG plans for you. Blessings on trying and staying true.

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    1. Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this. I’m literally smiling right now, so thank you for sharing that truth of joy and peace with me. God is good. I just have to trust His timing! Thanks for stopping by, friend. Sending love and hugs!! ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know it must be time consuming but the result is quality and I can’t help using your tweets in some my posts. I had some trouble to have the picture been seen, but today I succeeded in a draft that will be published soon

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  15. I haven’t read most of the comments to this post so my apologies if someone has already said this. You were doing the kindest thing to end the relationship early if it had no future. To let it go on just to spare this guy’s feelings would only be giving him more pain later on.

    And, great post yet again!

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  16. Thank you for stopping by my blog today. Lover I have a strange feeling coming over me. I feel like I may be too vulnerable now and I feel as though there is no mystery to my life at all. Although I do appreciate having the story being out there, the combination of liberation and uneasy circumstances that question whether I should publish more. What do you think?

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      1. You’re wise beyond your years. I’m going to do it. I’m going to keep writing and revealing one piece of the puzzle at a time. The reason behind this is because I’m the only one that can really tell my own story because I lived it. Look forward to more writing pieces from me in the near future.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Amor thriving dedication to my pastor studies. There you go, another piece of the puzzle revealed to you the former Sports entertainer goes church on you. This is far more of a rewarding occupation then I could ever have imagined. Reverend is wonderful.

        Liked by 1 person

  19. Such a heartwarming post. Love can be difficult and hurting someone even more so. It’s always best to do things the right way and if you do that, you have nothing to beat yourself up about. Because you are a caring person this is what makes you feel bad and seeing that in you should remind that person that you would never hurt with intention. Hoping that you feel better.

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    1. Oh thank you so much Corrie:) I really appreciate your kind words. You’re right, although it was very difficulty, in the end it was the loving and respectful thing to do. Because info care about him very much. Just not in a romantic way. Thanks for stopping by xx

      Liked by 1 person

  20. I admire your honesty. I think you are going to have a fantastic life full of love. Your photos are cool too did you do the graphics yourself or are they purchased (I’m looking for tips on how to get some). I’ll certainly share your post on my fbk LoveIsRealArt page.
    Oh and thank you for stopping by my new Village blog 😊

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    1. Oh thank you so much:) I really appreciate you encouragement and the share! Yes, j make all the images myself (except the cat/milkshake one) haha. It is a bit of a labor of love, so your positive feedback really means a lot. Hugs!

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Feeling worthy of love is very hard to remind yourself of. I struggle with it everyday. After being in a relationship that hurt me far beyond what it should have been capable of 2 years ago, I still don’t understand where the line comes with the man that loves me now. So I put on my bathroom mirror that I am worthy. Every time I go in my bathroom it reminds me that I am worthy of the things I want. It helps. It doesn’t work for everyone but everyone needs the reminder. I’m sure it will help you, too. And self-love is a process we all struggle with no matter how old we are. There may be things throughout our lives that drop us way down low and we have to rebuild that self-love. You are doing wonderful! Do let anybody tell you less.

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    1. Wow thank you so much for this beautiful response Clarissa:) your encouraging words mean so much. I absolutely love what you put on your mirror. I’m going to do that right now! So glad you’ve found that freedom. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love to you friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  27. First up, sorry that the attempt did not work as he wanted, or you aspired. You’re quite right, hurting people sucks.
    I have not read I Cor that way before. Interesting.
    I hope one day I get to the point of the two truths. Right now I struggle with both. Hold fast to both of them and keep going!

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    1. Hey Jeff. Thanks so much for this response. I think love – every kind of love – requires a journey. One that we are constantly on and constantly growing and evolving in. One day at a time:) thanks for reading!

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  31. Thank you for writing so honestly and for liking one of my posts. (When I read your heart here, I had to think of a poem I recently wrote on my blog. “The Offer” If you have a chance to read it, I pray it can offer you hope.)
    I agree with a lot of what you wrote about, but I have one caution, Don’t make self-love the focus. Yes, I believe you have to love yourself to love another person vulnerably and deeply; yet, I have discovered in my journey, that those days I don’t love me the best thing to do is focus on God and why I love Him. I went through a year or two when I did not have any close friends. I invested in God, and He proved to me in my heart that I was worth being loved.
    Keep writing and loving well and forgiving yourself and seeking God.
    I will be following your blog with interest as I am walking beside a friend given the challenge of anorexia.

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    1. Hi there Yolanda! Thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection! I’m so sorry your friend is suffering from anorexia. I will definitely keep her in my prayers. And you’re right. I think the thing to remember is that self love is only found through God. It is found by keeping our eyes on Him and seeing ourselves the way He sees us: as beautiful and precious children. What a great perspective to ponder this morning. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

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  32. Congrats on staying true to your gut feelings. That takes more bravery and deserves a lot more respect than playing it safe. Sending prayers & best wishes for the future your way.

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  33. What a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing, even though I can imagine that it was hard to write. I love how God knows exactly what we need to hear/read if we only take a moment to stop and listen.

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    1. Thank you so much Rahab:) You’re right: God is good and wants the best for His children and know what they need to hear. I owe everything to Him, so even though it was difficult to write, it was necessary, because I owe Him my life. Thanks for stopping by and for your beautiful reflection. hugs my friend! xox

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  35. It truly is all about, starts with, ends with, grows with, dies without, love. Thanks for your candid, frank and uplifting post. Blessings to you this Lenten season and thank you for stopping by the site and liking the post on Tares. In His Name Doug

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  36. Thank you! Thank you for your lovely insight. I just love how you can read the Bible many times and how the same scripture can speak to your heart in a different way than before. I love when God speaks to us through His word in the midst of our circumstances. It is so amazing. I am very touched by your experience and just seeing how powerful God works in the lives of his children. You are reaching out into the lives of many people and that is the power of God in you. May you continue to be blessed on your journey.

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    1. Gosh, thank you for much, Joyfull Mom:) yes-God IS good. I can honestly say that these are His words. Not mine. I just sit down to the computer and say, “okay God, I’m listening!” It’s all Him! But thank you for such affirming and encouraging works. I appreciate you taking the time to read. Hugs! Xox

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      1. I can tell by your writing that it is truly inspired by Him. I can feel His presence in your words and on your site. You have so many comments and you take the time to respond. That is a ministry right there my friend…a very powerful one! I am home 90% of the time, but I have the desire to touch many lives. My prayer is to be able to reach the MASS of hurting and lost souls just like you are doing now. I pray God’s will be done. I love it when God shows up…and He has clearly been showing up in your life! He never left :0) I will be keeping up with you. Great job doing the Father’s work here on earth. Blessings and love my sister in Christ!

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      2. Wow thank you again for the blessing you have given me in this nudge of kindness and support❤️ your genuine and loving heart definitely shines through. God bless you my friend. Xoxoxoxo

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  41. May God bless your witness to Him.
    Thanks for liking my Post ” Patrick Hamilton .. LAW AND GOSPEL”
    Please, if you have time, read some of my other post they are full of Gospel Truths and seek to glorify God and uplift the Lord Jesus Christ.

    jgmtheo.wordpress.com/

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  42. I was just thinking about that verse from 1st Corinthians the other day and about how much I felt it was untrue regarding love. Flipping that passage and reading it about MYSELF rather than someone else…well that, dear, was indeed mind blowing. Thanks for sharing.

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  43. Wow. First — thank you for your transparency. Second — I clicked on this not expecting 1 Cor… Yesterday I had this moment when those verses came to mind. It sounds like you know what kind of moment I mean. I did some free form writing that is too raw to share but check back soon for the shareable version. Again, thanks for sharing, friend.

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  45. I know I’m super late to this conversation on a post almost four weeks old, but the thought that ‘we [ONLY] accept the love we think we deserve’ is a game-changer, at least for me. When Christ has infinite love for us, yet we choose to limit the love we receive… It’s like we’re playing that old game of you get your wages, not realizing that old way of thinking delivers death. No matter how much love you think you deserve, God loves more.

    Thanks for sharing, and thank you for your honesty and vulnerability.

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  48. I stopped by originally to thank you for regularly stopping by my blog and faithfully encouraging me. So thank you! But I got here and had a few minutes to read and have to tell you that I very much enjoyed reading this post.

    So many times I have found that scriptures I thought I understood well have a brooder interpretation than I ever imagined. I have struggled in the midst of my circumstances – with my own wounds, to feel God’s love for me. I’ve wrestled with how to recognize His love, because while I may not always feel His love for me, I do know that he does love me.. Eventually, I too turned to 1 Corinthians 13 and replaced the word love with God, because 1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16 both tell us that God is the very essence of love. I can also appreciate the need to see yourself through God’s eyes – self love. I’m glad you turned to the scriptures when your heart hurt and negative self-talk threatened to lead you to believe things about yourself that the Bible tells us are untrue. Wise choice! Thanks for your authenticity.

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    1. Hi Janet, wow thank you for this absolutely beautiful reflection! I’ve so enjoyed reading your posts. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read. You’re right-there is so so much comfort and truth in His word. It is a window into His heart. Have a wonderful night. Hugs xox

      Liked by 1 person

  49. Thanks so much for such an inspiring post. Without question, it was a “right now word for all seasons. . . love never fails.” I especially appreciated the colorful posters that reinforced the message, not that it needed anything other than the heartfelt and exquisitely crafted words that you wrote.

    Thanks also for the visits to Dr. J’s Apothecary Shoppe and for the “likes.” You continue to be a blessing.

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    1. Thank you so much Dr. J. That really means a lot. I’m glad you like my quote art photos! They’re a bit of a labor of love, but I really do enjoy making them☺️ thanks for stopping by! Hugs!

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  50. This is a good reflection on I Corinthians. But I have to say I had a hard time getting past the cat at the top! I deal with rough spots via humor. Remember my motto for The Zipper Club (bypass survivors)? “Angioplasty is for sissies.” So I kept thinking of al the funny stuff I’d throw at you if you were my daughter.

    But that aside, maybe you missed the one really important thing here. A guy of the male persuasion, a testosterone-based life form, who I am guessing knows your history, takes a look at you and says “I would like to get me some of that!” Or something along those lines in a positive, non-misogynist, long term commitment sort of way. The guy found you ATTRACTIVE!!

    So…Beauty…while he may not have been The One, he showed you that you are someone to be desired. You are right to be careful when you either do or don’t accept someone’s advances. I’m not saying you should’ve gone for him, ’cause, “hey, I could do worse than marry a ‘brother.'” 🙂 I am saying here’s the pudding of proof; someone got a taste of who you are and how you look, and gave you two enthusiastic thumbs up!

    I’ll suggest this may not be the time to say your not ready. Someone thought you are. Others will too. Maybe now is the time to say “OK. It looks like I got this.” Maybe that’s the way to make yourself ready. Practice toe-dipping.

    So pardon the preachy, tongue in cheek Dad thing here. I think you’ve got it more together than you think. You’ve got 5000+ followers and hundreds of “Likers” who think you’re the cat’s meow (deliberate reference). This is not the time to paws. You don’t have to be purrfect. You just have to be you. And you’re pretty darn good at that! You’ll be feline! 🙂

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    1. Hey hey Jeffrey! Oh my gosh, LOVE the dad jokes. So much. So incredibly much. You made my day, you have no idea. So thank you:) but in all seriousness, this was such a beautiful note, Jeffrey. Thank you for all the kind things you said, and for also offering a new perspective for me. You really do have incredible insight. I am so blessed to call you friend. ☺️ you’re right-looks like I’ve got some more toe-dipping to practice! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Xox

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