A great many humans, just like parrots, have a deep longing to love and to be loved. And this was really brought home to me the other day when I was busy gnawing my way through one of my owner’s newspapers. I was halfway through it when I stumbled across the “Lonely Hearts” section. And there before me were countless messages from humans who felt lonely or unfulfilled in their quest for love. And some of the messages read like this:
“Old bloke still with hair and teeth seeks the warmth of a lady’s heart…”
“Prince without his princess. My castle is lonely, please rescue me soon!”
“TLC urgently required! Must love kids and animals but not necessarily in that order.”
And there was also an ad. from someone who couldn’t quite see beyond the physical side of love (which is probably why he’s still single). It read:
“Gentleman seeks lady with soft lips and an ample bosom.”
Well, we’ve just had Valentine’s Day, that one day in the year when humans like to pretend that they’re really Lovebirds, and make offerings of cards and flowers to one another. That is, if they have that someone special in their lives. But if they haven’t, then Valentine’s Day can be a very sad occasion because so many humans crave for meaningful love. And if you’re struggling with poverty while you’re also feeling alone, then life can seem unbearable. During her time in Calcutta, a special human nun saw this almost every day:
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”
(Mother Teresa)
All true love comes from God because God Himself is the very essence of love. So this means that God has to be present wherever true love flows. A happy relationship is never just a two-way thing between a couple of humans or parrots. Love is a triangle with God at the top and the couple at the bottom. The closer the couple get to God, the closer they get to each other, and the deeper their love becomes.
And what so many humans fail to realise is that their loneliness of the heart often masks a deeper spiritual hunger:
“The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty, -it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love as there’s a hunger for God.”
(Mother Teresa)
I count my blessings every single day because I know that I’m truly loved not only by my human family, but also by God. And this makes me feel secure and safe:
“Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love.” (Billy Graham)
And the more love we hold within our hearts, the more we become shaped in God’s image. And so often, the part of our loved ones that we love most deeply is the part that is filled by the essence of God:
“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”
(St. Augustine)
Love is the most beautiful and precious commodity that we will ever experience here on Earth. It’s totally priceless. And that means that we need to work on it every single day, and never take it for granted:
“Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity. Love like there’s no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again.”
(Max Lucado)
My friends, the Lovebirds can teach us all a thing or two. If we live out our lives like they do, we won’t go far wrong!
“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”.
