Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Often, we pass on without knowing the value of true love. This story “The Island of Emotions’ shows us how time helps us to understand the true value of love.

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the emotions lived; Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest, including Love.

Once, the island of emotions began to sink in a flash flood. The emotions one after the other started to escape from the island in their boats. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment because love had no boat. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Wealth was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Wealth, can you take me with you?"
Wealth answered, "No, I can't. My boat is full of gold, silver and other riches, so there is no room for you.”

Then, Love saw Vanity passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!" Love requested.
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

When Love saw Happiness passing in his boat Love shouted for help, but Happiness did not even hear the call of Love.

Awaiting death, Love stood hapless. Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you."  With great hope Love entered the boat that came for his rescue and reached a safe shore.

In the happiness of saving own life, Love forgot to ask the name of the one who saved his life or even to thank him. So, Love started to search for the one who saved him but could not find. So love asked knowledge, “Who was it that saved my life when everyone ignored me and passed?”

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time understands how valuable Love is."  

The importance of love in our life is huge. Without knowing that when we magnify our small, small problems in our relationships and bring cracks in it we neglect the fact that it is love and protection of our dear and near ones that made us the real we. We are obliged to return the same to them because as William Blake in his poem

‘The Little Black Boy’ sings,
“And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love”

Love cannot be restrained, for love is gracious. If you have this gracious, free-flowing love others will be attracted to you as people attracted towards Mother Theresa, Francis Assisi, and the like. God is Love. Our search from birth itself is the fullness of love i.e. God’s Love. In the long run of life man substitute it with material gains, lust, and money. Even if  one gains all the pleasures one will be dissatisfied. In such situation if you listen we can listen the sound of God,
“Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He whom thou sleekest.” Francis Thompson “The heavenly Hound.” (Poem)

Without hindering the love of parents, siblings, friends, and relatives, search for the fullness of love. Only God’s love can bring contentment in life.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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