I Wanna Know What Love Is

The title is from a very popular song from the 80's by Foreigner. I grew up in the 70's and 80's. It was the era of "sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll". Our society was going through a period of "free love." What they really meant was a promiscuous era of free sex. I never really knew what love was and the few ideas that I had were pretty screwed up. I believe all people are built with the desire for "real love," the type of love that can only come from relationship with God. Unfortunately, most people only grasp what they learn from society. We substitute God's love for love of possessions, love of money, and the physical manifestation of love -- sex.
In 1988, I decided to begin a journey to find out what love was. That journey started with a desire to get myself to church and quick. I started attending the Lutheran church (where I was baptized as an infant). It was as if God was instantly rewarding me, I met a beautiful girl and got married in August of 1988. On Easter 1989, I was confirmed into the Catholic Church. I was starting to understand what real love was but I was still missing the boat, fighting off some old habits and misconceptions.
Some years later, I remember the day I prayed specifically to God to fill me in on this “love thing.” I was going to a pro-life meeting at the church. I got there a few minutes early and received a very strong response from God. It was like someone turning the light on and talking to me like they were trying to wake me up. The message was, "Hey, I sent you four teachers, what else do you want?” I knew in an instant the four teachers He was referring to were my four daughters. You see, most of the misconceptions I had about love centered around my relationships with women. My wife and four young daughters were definitely good examples of what love was supposed to be. It seemed pretty ironic that the teachers he sent were females, the very source of my problem.
I am still on the journey. I understand better each day. I now have 6 children. You see, as part of my “love” training God blessed me with two more children. My youngest child, a daughter, demonstrates to me on a daily basis what love is about as she runs up to me, jumps into my arms and says, “I just love my Daddy.” I can just imagine Jesus standing there waiting for me to run, jump and tell Him that I love Him. No grudges, no conditions, just love -- freely given.