I know it's been awhile since I've written.
Things are pretty bad here in the heart and home of Jossyb. But I shall spare you the drama. Because there are more important things at hand! Like unconditional words.
What does unconditional mean?
Well first of all it's an adjective. "In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified." ~Taken from the always informative Wikipedia!
Second its meaning is pretty simple;
without conditions or limitations
So there it is.
But I'm thinking about unconditional LOVE. So now we see another simple meaning;
affection with no limits or conditions; complete love
You know, that's one difficult word, unconditional. You could pare it up with lots of words and it changes the meaning to something much more than it was before.
Unconditional Faith.
Unconditional Trust.
Unconditional Truth.
Unconditional Help.
See? Those words just got very different, simply with the word unconditional in front of them. I just love what that word does to those other words.
Funny story, I've experienced a lot over the last few months that have strengthened my desire for those things. Never thought I'd ever have to deal with the things I'm dealing with today. Never imagined my life to be like this. But one thing remains; life's trials do not have to break me, or my belief.
If anything I cling to them stronger than ever. Unconditional love? I do understand it a bit more now. I've had to practice it. I've had to love someone without conditions. Has it been difficult? You bet your sweet butt it has been. Knowing the things I do about some of the people in my life I've had to adjust my way of thinking. One thing I've always practiced is that people are separate from their actions. I live this way because we can change our actions. We can choose how we act. I also live according to the belief that we all have free will. We have the freedom to act as we choose.
This can be a problem in a few ways. The biggest is that our choice on how to act may not be how someone else would act and that someone else might become very difficult because of it. But the beauty of free will is that we also have the freedom to live how we desire, in spite of those people.
Oh dear. I think I've just started another three part-er... You know, I never mean for these things to happen because I go into these things with the intention of just a simple conversation... yet as soon as I begin to type I suddenly realize the things I'm talking about are not as simple as I expect.
My intention with this topic was simple, talk about the word unconditional. But it's become quite clear that although the topic has a simple definition, it does NOT have a simple explanation.
I want it to be understood through my perspective, the way I see it.. and you can take it however you want.
I've come to realize having no conditions tends to remove the boundaries that surround the things we have boundaries around. If you have conditions on why you love someone, such as you would only love someone as long as they do not hurt you or make you feel badly, then that is pretty acceptable in most peoples eyes.
But once you cross over into the unconditional love territory you've opened up something that not everyone can get behind.
Unconditional love sounds lovely at first. It sounds romantic even... but the reality of it is more than we even can grasp. When you love someone without conditions that means NO MATTER WHAT. Someone could beat the crap out of you, steal from you, lie to you, ruin you.. but that won't stop the unconditional part.
Once you think of it that way it stops being so romantic, doesn't it?
What about unconditional faith? Or trust? Trusting or having faith in someone without conditions. Meaning I will trust you and you won't have to do anything in return.
I guess I never realized how powerful that word really is.
A lot can happen in a few short days.. it only took 1 day to change my life as I knew it. That day was Thanksgiving Day.
And in that 1 day I began a new journey to practice unconditional words. I've found that I can't expect those words from those who do not even understand them, which doesn't give me an excuse to not show it to those very people.
I've had a difficult few months. All that I knew is now changed. The only thing that remains is my one constant; and that is Jesus. The one who claimed and perfectly executed the very definition of unconditional words.
The other day I found something that has reminded me of why I need to press on and continue to practice those things. It was something a friend wrote down for me on an index card. I don't know where she got it from, but I know it's been very helpful.
"When something bad happens you have three choices. 1. You can let it define you. 2. You can let it destroy you. or 3. You can let it strengthen you."
Something bad has happened. Life is much more difficult than ever. BUT if I give in to all the chaos and negative things now I will have to live with the consequences. All those who are around me that know what's going on have voiced their opinions. They've had their say. And now I'm done listening to those people.
I've stopped listening to them because I don't want opinions from people who don't understand the words that I hold so tightly to. Those people live in fear, they act out in fear, and they thrive on fear.
Me? I choose to only fear 1 thing; God.
Everything else is just noise.
