STORGE

Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)
Neighbour means a person living next to you. But it means a person next to you and also a person who is in need.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  (Colossians 3:20)


I received a copy of  "The Four Loves" by C. S. Lewis a few months back. The title instigated my mind to think, ponder, meditate on the title of the book.

"The Four Loves"

I started to search for meanings of the title. I researched for a while. This happened to me for the first time that I started to search for the meaning of the title without reading the book. I wanted to get the entire implication, interpretation, essence, definition and explanation.

One of the Loves is the title of the blog.

AGAPE -God's self-sacrificial love is what it means. Jesus' love on the cross for the entire mankind.

STORGE is what I am going to write about.

STORGE, let us start with the definition first. In Greek language, especially  in ancient Greek they have four words to describe different types of loves. They consists of Agape, Phileo, Eros and Storge.

Storge love can be defined as natural, unforced, familial love the great example is the love a parent has for a child.
I had a desire to write something for my parents and I even wrote.
Last week, One of my friends celebrated her Parent's Wedding Anniversary. I remembered an article I read in "The Hindu" 2 years back.
What are your parents for you?  What do they mean to you?

I have some stories for helping you to love your parents more.

There was a little boy named Jason who lived with parents and his grandparents. His Grandpa was 65 and his Grandma was 60 while he was 7 years old. Three years later, as his grandparents were losing their strength, his grandma broke a bowl when the family was eating dinner. No one said her anything. The next day she broke a glass. 

Soon, Jason's Mother ordered a set of wooden bowls for Jason's parents to eat their food to avoid any breaking of her utensils. Jason witnessed the changed while they were eating dinner. He asked his mother, "Why is Grandpa and Grandpa eating dinner in these wooden bowls?" His mother replied, "Because they are old now, they broke the bowl and a glass yesterday. So to avoid any breakage I gave them these." 

Jason left his dinner and rushed towards the basement, his parents followed him there.

Jason started carving a wooden log. His mother asked him, "What are you doing son? Why carving the log?" He replied, "I am making wooden bowls for you too. Because you too will grow old someday."

His parents were astonished to his reply. The parents realised their mistake. They removed those wooden bowls and the family started eating without any discriminations.

Another one, 
I am reminded by an ancient story I don’t remember who was the narrator but still I remember the plot. The story starts with an old man sitting with his son watching T.V the old man is gazing the bright sunlight entering through the window. The Old man asked his son, “What is this son?” the son replied, “It’s a crow”. Few minutes later he asked his son “What is this?” his son stood up and replied in the same tone the identical answer. Moments later his son was asked the same question, his answer now had a blend of anger, but the old man listened with silence. He sat. Some moments later he asked the same the question to his son, his son now burned with anger, frustration shouted at his father “It’s a crow, don’t you understand” the old stood still and shocked that this harsh deliverance of words from his son. He went to his room.

Later his grandchild found his diary, she brought it to her father and told, “Dad, I have found Grandpa’s diary, can you read it to me?” He replied “Sure, child”. As he read the first page, his eyes were filled with unstoppable tears, he rushed to his Father’s room and was sitting at his feet crying until his Father felt that his feet became wet. He asked his son, “What has happened son?” some time later in a very gentle voice, he replied, “Father, forgive me the way I answered you today, I know I am wrong but forgive me I won’t do it again for I have realized your worth”. So the question arises what has the son read from the diary that brought a sudden change in him? As he started reading the diary, he read his Father wrote, “Today my son asked me 23 times, what is this? And I replied him 23 times that it was a crow” he added “the more he asked I was rejoicing over him and felt overjoyed when he asked me, I felt so happy to reply him 23 times”.

I renewed my love for my parents when I listened to the story. I came running to my parents hugged them, without uttering a word and only one word I was able to spell was “Thank you”. Sometimes in our “Pursuit of happiness” we completely evade from the “True Treasure”.

So, what do we get from these stories?

Let me tell who our parents are, "The True Treasure". The true wealth of our life. God's Grace in our life. The word "grace" means an undeserved or unmerited favour. Your equation will never reach its completion without God and Parents.

Parents consider children as God’s gift, so we as children should firmly hold this that they are also God’s gift for us.

“If you want to know the significance of vision, ask the blind, if you want to know the worth of parents, ask the orphans.”

We are so busy complaining about things we don’t have and neglecting the true treasure we have in the form of our parents. We are growing and are busy but we often forget that our parents are growing old too. Parents have provided us with this beautiful life that we have, they have lavished us with their love, they have kept our priorities before theirs. They have kept aside their needs for our needs. They are working to provide us with a happy lifestyle. They cared for us more than themselves.

PRAYER:

Let’s pray to God that Lord I am totally blessed because you’ve blessed me with my parents, they are a wonderful gift from you. Help me to honour them and speak with them in a gentle manner, respect them wherever I have the opportunity. I remember those days when they used to hold my hand while crossing the street. As they are loosing their strength and agility, help me to provide that hand to hold them forever until my last breath on this planet. I request you to help me do this out of love for them and not obligation. In Jesus' Name. Amen

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14)

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

God Bless!