I recently listened to my CD of the music from the Broadway musical “Rent”.  I have loved it since I saw the show on Broadway about 25 years ago and I especially liked the song “Seasons of Love”. The lyrics repeat “Five hundred sixty-five thousand, six hundred minutes” over and over which of course are the number of minutes in a year and then asks “How do you measure a year in your life?” 

That is followed by the words “In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter or strife?”

Do we count off the days, one-by-one, just trying to endure until the next day and then endure that as well?  How do we measure a year in our life?  The song goes on to suggest we measure it in LOVE.  The song encourages us with the words, “What about love?  What about love? What about love? Measure in love.  Seasons of love!”

Later in the song the lyrics encourage us to “Remember the love, it’s a gift from above!” and that line really resonated with me when I heard it this time.  We love because He first loved us and taught us how to love one another.  Whether you are experiencing laughter or strife, there is nothing more important than giving and receiving love.  In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13 we hear the words “Love is patient, love is kind, love does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes and it always preservers. Love never fails.  And now these three remain.  Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

As we enter this new year, continue to remember God loves us unconditionally.  There is nothing more important than the love of God and it sustains us in all things we encounter in every season of our life.  Let’s measure our year in the love we gave and the love we receive!

Patty