When I think of love my mind often goes to scenes from love stories such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. These are great love stories, but are they really the epitome of love?

Something that kind of struck me today while we were taking communion at church was just how much God loves us. Wow. I can't even really begin to understand it. The God of the universe loves me. That is awesome.

God loved me so much that He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for the world. . . no. . . for me. My name, which had not even been spoken on the earth yet, was thought of as Christ hung on the cross. The beatings, the mockings, the pure torture that He went through was because He loved me. Amazing.

The Bible paints Christ's relationship with the church (us) as a beautiful love story with the characters being the bridegroom (Christ) and the bride (the church). Christ loves His bride with a love that no earthly creature will ever be able to duplicate. He has shown us this love by giving Himself up on the cross in order to save His love from an eternity in hell. No matter how much a person comes to love you on this earth their love will never be able to come close to how much Christ loves you. That is the epitome of love.