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LOVE IS A VERB
STORIES OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LOVE COMES ALIVE
BY: Gary Chapman
New!
Stories of What Happens When Love Comes Alive
by Gary Chapman
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0674-0
Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: May. 09 | Division: Bethany House
As part of Bethany House's blogger program I received a copy of Love is a Verb: Stories of What Happens When Love Comes Alive by Gary Chapman. This book was not at all what I thought it would be. I totally expected it to be more along the lines of a self-help book, authored entirely by Chapman. Not that that would have been a bad thing, but I was pleasantly surprised as I opened the book and began to read.
Inside I found stories written by everyday people who actually understand that love truly is a verb. These are people who have learned to love in situations when the world, and sadly, sometimes the church, would have easily allowed them to, or even encouraged them to, justify giving up on, leaving, or even hating those they instead chose to love.
Parents, children, spouses, neighbors, and strangers have all become lovable, not because of who they are, but because someone chose to love them. Unconditional love is the theme of this book. At the end of each story, Chapman adds a short commentary to give us something to think about
Though I have many, one of my favorite stories in the book is about a woman, Louise, whose young son, Jonathan, suffered from a stroke and changed from a happy little boy, to a cruel young child who commonly spewed hateful things from his mouth such as "I hate you" and "You're dumb and stupid." Louise had to try to learn to love him all over again. And she did.
With every story I was convicted. How many conditions have I placed on my love for others? Too many, I hate to say. This book made me realize that we really can love unconditionally, if only we look past ourselves, and simply remember that love really is a verb.
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