The Trouble With Love

After much analyses, I have figured out the problem with this love thing. The problem is that it takes two to make it work. Now the possibility that there are two people on the same planet that could actually love each other is not that remote. The problem is getting those two together. The current system to search, select, and acquire this ethereal combination of mutual love leaves much to be desired. The present system appears to be one of chance, occurring at random, governed largely by proximity and probability. The finality of the process doesn't allow room for error. In the business realm, it would not be considered peculiar to make public the availability of a position, set criteria, and conduct interviews. This would seem to reduce it to crude rudimentary elements in the realm of personal relationships, seemingly to exclude the most apparently critical element, that of two people who love each other. While the current system is cumbersome, the alternative of advertising in the classified section seems nonetheless commercial and crass. Now love does exist in the unilateral realm, that is, one party loving another party regardless of the whether or not that love is reciprocated. Romance requires however that love must be mutual between both parties to be legitimate. When one loves another but the second party doesn't share the other's affection, it falls under the category of infatuation rather than love. Let's examine the elements of love. Certainly appearance plays a significant role. Both parties must mutually find the other's appearance tolerable if not pleasing. Beyond the perception of the object of our affection's appearance, other factors must be recognized. Regardless of how pleasing their appearance may be, ultimately personality is one attribute you can't ignore. You must not overlook the behavior of your potential soul mate. Beauty is merely the bait that attracts us but it is our behavior that hooks and retains our affection. Regardless of how powerful the forces that attract you, eventually that bond of appeal will dissolve and disintegrate if the party of the second part behaves intolerably toward the party of the first part, you. Don't overlook common interests and especially values that you both embrace. Disparate value systems will rend asunder the strongest of relationships. Now to address the matter of sex. Like love, it also requires mutual consent. It cannot exist, one party independent of the other. It requires the participation of both parties. Only a benevolent Diety could have conceived the concept of sex and awarded to his children this pinnacle of physical pleasure that surpasses both procreation and recreation! Obviously our Creator endowed us with more than simple biological functions. He also instilled in us the ability to appreciate the aesthetically pleasing. We live in a world rich in color, variation, and beauty. We are able to enjoy a plethora of physical sensations including sight, sound, and touch. We are endowed with a certain innately instilled capacity that allows us to appreciate the concept of the beautiful and the pleasant. We are by no accident designed to be sensual creatures. While there is merit in temperance and self control, we are undeniably made to embrace and enjoy the lovely. Who can explain the beauty of a sunset or the awe we feel when we gaze into the heavens at night? Nature is replete with sights and sounds, the music of a creation that soothes the senses. We are enthralled by the singing of birds, lulled by the sound of a restless ocean, and serenaded to sleep by a symphony of a thousand chirping miniature musicians in the orchestra of the night. Truly God richly giveth us all things to enjoy! With this in mind, should we be surprised by the ecstasy of sensual pleasure afforded the two willing participants in a legitimate relationship within the confines of Hebrews 13:4. For those of you who may not have a New Testament readily available and would be hard pressed to get your hands on one in the immediate future, I have enclosed the preceding reference for your convenience. It reads,