I Love You

The words 'I love you' are three of the most important words.   Their meaning runs deeper than just the words alone.  They are the words that many people hear every day.  Some people haven't said 'I love you' in many years.
I was talking to Becky on the phone yesterday and the end of the conversation came.  I anticipated what the end of every conversation with her includes.  "I love you,"  Becky sincerely uttered.  I paused momentarily and replied, "I love you, too."  I got off of the phone and thought about the deep love that I feel for her.
Many years ago, a story was related to me about a young man who struggled with a personal battle that his father strongly disagreed with.  His father's pride stepped in to the point of disowning his own son. The man told him to leave his home and never return.  The mother's heart was broken and she watched her son leave.  A couple of years passed with no word from their son.  The son went his way and lived his life.  His heart was broken that his father no longer wanted to see him because of his personal decisions.  One day, a knock came on the door and to the mother's surprise, she opened the door to find her son standing on the front porch.  She wrapped her arms around him, overjoyed at his homecoming.  The father sat in the living room and upon hearing the sound of the familiar voice came to the front door.  He looked at his son and the anger instantly overtook him.  He sternly reminded his son of his words two years earlier.  He told his son to leave and never return.  The heartbreak in the son's eyes were more than he could personally take.  The father closed the front door, leaving his desperate son all alone on the front porch.  A few hours passed and the prideful man walked out to his barn behind the house.  As he opened the large barn door a wave of emotion overcame him.  To his astonishment, he found his young saddened son hanging from the rafter of the large barn with a rope around his neck.   His lifeless body spoke of the devastation in his heart.  He had longed to hear the healing words that his father could have spoken. 
I know that this story is probably an extreme one but I can't help but think of the importance it is to speak meaningful words of 'I love you'.  These words need not become only words spoken out of habit.  They are words that deeply penetrate when they're spoken with sincerity.  They are words that take on new meaning when actions accompany.  I want to be a better example of someone who truly loves and not just somebody who says that they love.  The impact we will have on people that we love will be far-reaching.  Our sincere love will break down all barriers.  Now is the time to let our love be known to those people that we care about the very most.  Now, is the time to love.