I recently was reading through stories in the Bible and came across the story of King Solomon and the two mothers. Two women had given birth but one had rolled over in night and accidently killed her child. So with a jealous heart she went and swapped the babies and took the live one for her own. The story goes that when they awoke and found the babies, one alive and the other dead, they went to King Solomon to determine the real mother to the one remaining child. Solomon advice was to split the child and let each have a half. One mother said ok and the other, the real mother, said "no give her to the other cause then at least the child is still alive". Now I know that this story is about the wisdom of Solomon, but I think also there is something to be said for the mother who had enough love for her child, that to see the child live, she was willing to let him go.
This is real love. Love that is willing to let go in order for lives to be saved. This love, I believe, can be greater because it has the element of thinking of others over self. But this love is hard. Not easily obtained. In todays day very rare. This is true love. Loving so completely that the other's needs are met . . . first.
I am not real good at this love. It requires sacrifice and heartache. It requires letting go. I wish I was a pro at this but I'm not. Outside of my family and a select friend or two, my ability to love completely wanes.
I need to think more of others and less of me. This is what the mother in Solomon's time was able to do. In the end she loved, lost and loved again. I hope this is true of me too.
