More about love

I have learned from Effendi that when we love another person, we are loving the attributes of God in the person. Carrying this further, when someone dear to us moves away in life or in death, it is the attributes of God in the person that we so miss and long for.

This has to be so. Not that I could list the attributes of God or ever thought about this before, but doesn’t it feel right? Someone we feel love for stirs the attributes of God that already exist within us, and, so, we love the people we love to the degree that they stir the attributes of God within us.

Does this also mean that when we don’t like and don’t love certain people, is it because they don’t stir the attributes of God within us, but rather they stir the ego’s attributes within us? Hmm.

So the Great Ones who were able to love so grandly loved so well because their egos didn’t dominate their lives. The Great Ones did not take offense — yes, their hearts were full of love – but their hearts were full of love because their egos didn’t dominate. I wonder if that is how love could exist full-blown in their hearts.

Now, then, it’s easy for so many of us who meet with Effendi to feel love for him because he shines the attributes of God into our eyes and so stirs the same attributes of God within us. And when someone stirs the attributes of God within us, we feel grateful and we love, and we give more love.

I was thinking about a sweet memory of my father when I was very young. I don’t know if this is still done today, but he would put my then little nose between his thumb and fingers and say, “I’ve got your nose!” He would then show me the tip of his thumb between his finger. I would squeal: “Put it back!”

And he would, of course, return my nose to me, and so we played a game.

I was thinking how Effendi has stolen my heart. It is like he reached into my heart and grabbed it and took it away with him, but, of course, I would not ask for it back, for he has given his heart in exchange.