Love cannot be earned, it is a gift and Jesus Christ. That’s all it took. Young and addicted to love incarnated, a sacrificial lamb purposed for slaughter. Sacrifice as a requirement rather than a flavor.

Human life is significant, is the actual moral of that grand tale. Love, just a bastard spin-off. It cannot be created nor destroyed. Like all forces, love can only change form. Mine took the shape of pure sacrifice. If I gave something up, went down in some way for her sake, we’re in love!

I didn’t really want to lose in love. Does anyone? Yet many couples find the bedrock of meaningful connection relies on the stakes of great compromise, gargantuan loss or surrender of your very soul. I lost sight of what I really wanted. Abundance, true love, scarcity is not.

Losing one thing to earn another can never describe your love for anyone. It does say you’re not self-centered, which is a conversation between you and your ego. At best, your sacrifices give evidence of how much you love yourself.

A gift is given without expectations of anything in return. Perhaps I’m warranted a kind thank you, but the moment I feel something is owed, it lays ruin to the spirit of my intentions. Your gifts aren’t yours, but for those you choose to share them with.

The biggest, best love I have to offer are words, intentions and actions that can never be repaid. No debt, regret or resentment remain. There is only surrender to the impact of my contribution.

Who do you love in that way? Love has many flavors and qualities. The flavor you’re currently having is not in fact, the ice cream itself. The root sensation your looking for is principally delivered by the sweet, creamy chill that is hard and soft all at once. You can spice up the experience with chocolate, strawberries or whatever you’re into but these add-ons do not become the ice cream. If you take away the flavor, there is still something there that you desire.

Deciding to call chocolate ice cream, chocolate, or believing every time you eat ice cream, it means you are also actually eating strawberries (or even strawberry ice cream) is an indication you’re confused about the differences between ice cream, chocolate and strawberries. Much like I used to get the idea of sacrifice and love twisted into one and the same thing.

Love, like ice cream, is such a big thing you only need to let it be what it is. That way if you decide to mix it with any of your favorite flavors and toppings, it’s on purpose.