Language of Love
One of my
earliest memories was of words. We
visited my Grosmom Siemens, a tiny raven-haired Grandmother, who kept molasses
cookies in the tin drawer of her kitchen cabinet. If I said “High-Hoopa” (phonetically spelled)
she would break into laughter and give me a cookie.
earliest memories was of words. We
visited my Grosmom Siemens, a tiny raven-haired Grandmother, who kept molasses
cookies in the tin drawer of her kitchen cabinet. If I said “High-Hoopa” (phonetically spelled)
she would break into laughter and give me a cookie.
Then we retired
to the living room. Drowsy, I laid on
the carpeted floor and listened to Plautt Deutch words swirl around me lulling
me to sleep. Once in a while an English
word would sneak in, and I could follow a bit of the conversation. At home my Dad and Mom spoke English. They never spelled words when their
conversation was withheld from us. They
simply spoke the old ‘at home’ language – Plautt Deutch.
to the living room. Drowsy, I laid on
the carpeted floor and listened to Plautt Deutch words swirl around me lulling
me to sleep. Once in a while an English
word would sneak in, and I could follow a bit of the conversation. At home my Dad and Mom spoke English. They never spelled words when their
conversation was withheld from us. They
simply spoke the old ‘at home’ language – Plautt Deutch.
One time I
managed to mangle Plautt Deutch while trying to converse with my aunts and
uncles, Dad, the inveterate teacher, explained the syntax of the language to
me. “I jump out the window and run
around the house” becomes “I jump the window out and the house I run
around.”
managed to mangle Plautt Deutch while trying to converse with my aunts and
uncles, Dad, the inveterate teacher, explained the syntax of the language to
me. “I jump out the window and run
around the house” becomes “I jump the window out and the house I run
around.”
For a time
Grosmom came to stay with us. We managed
to have halting conversations, though minimum, they were satisfactory for both of us. She spoke in Plautt Deutch and I answered in
English. We understood. Since she came from Russia when she was
sixteen years old, she taught me to count in Russian to ten. In high school I learned the Latin language
one year. In college I learned to sing
in Italian and French. When I enrolled
in a French class, the vocabulary list became my ‘waterloo’. One day a student from Greece flawlessly translated
into French into English. Our French teacher
explained that she did twice as much work as we did. She translated from Greek to French to English
– traveling through three languages.
Grosmom came to stay with us. We managed
to have halting conversations, though minimum, they were satisfactory for both of us. She spoke in Plautt Deutch and I answered in
English. We understood. Since she came from Russia when she was
sixteen years old, she taught me to count in Russian to ten. In high school I learned the Latin language
one year. In college I learned to sing
in Italian and French. When I enrolled
in a French class, the vocabulary list became my ‘waterloo’. One day a student from Greece flawlessly translated
into French into English. Our French teacher
explained that she did twice as much work as we did. She translated from Greek to French to English
– traveling through three languages.
One of our sons
had a gift for learning languages, a smidge of German, French, and several
other languages, plus computer languages.
Our daughter spoke fluent programming languages. All of our children communicated in various
ways and enjoyed phrases of Plautt Deutch in our every day language.
had a gift for learning languages, a smidge of German, French, and several
other languages, plus computer languages.
Our daughter spoke fluent programming languages. All of our children communicated in various
ways and enjoyed phrases of Plautt Deutch in our every day language.
Time went by and English
became my sole language. When Chinese
ladies became my friends, less than 10 years ago, I desired, for a while, to
learn Chinese. The weight of years and
living placed a barrier before me. Last
week, the mystery of language came at me full force again. It was there all the time.
became my sole language. When Chinese
ladies became my friends, less than 10 years ago, I desired, for a while, to
learn Chinese. The weight of years and
living placed a barrier before me. Last
week, the mystery of language came at me full force again. It was there all the time.
What language
does God speak? How will I know it is
God speaking? What does He sound
like? How did Noah know to obey God and
build the ark? How did Noah know God
spoke to him? Why would God speak to
Noah – v9 – Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless
person living on earth at the time, and he
walked in close fellowship with God. (The bold
faced words are the Why – righteousness/blameless and walked in close
fellowship with God.)
does God speak? How will I know it is
God speaking? What does He sound
like? How did Noah know to obey God and
build the ark? How did Noah know God
spoke to him? Why would God speak to
Noah – v9 – Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless
person living on earth at the time, and he
walked in close fellowship with God. (The bold
faced words are the Why – righteousness/blameless and walked in close
fellowship with God.)
In Genesis
6:13-16 – So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have
filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the
earth! “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and
out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet
wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the
boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower,
middle, and upper.”
6:13-16 – So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have
filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the
earth! “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and
out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet
wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the
boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower,
middle, and upper.”
What language did God and Noah speak? And what language did God speak to Abraham
when he said… “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared
to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live
a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I
will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face
down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my
covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am
changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called
Abraham, for
you will be the father of many nations. I will make you
extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will
be among them!” Genesis 17:1-6.
when he said… “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared
to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live
a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I
will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face
down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my
covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am
changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called
Abraham, for
you will be the father of many nations. I will make you
extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will
be among them!” Genesis 17:1-6.
Then Abraham, name
changed, and Sarah, name changed, pulled up stakes and left Ur of Chaldees and
headed for Canaan. We have the
Scriptures, the Word of God, yet when we read a command, we say – that must be
for someone else – surely not me.
Abraham believed, he had faith.
At 99, he didn’t say, “Let me sleep on that and make plans!” No, his obedience was instant. He knew God, the El-Shaddai – God Almighty!
changed, and Sarah, name changed, pulled up stakes and left Ur of Chaldees and
headed for Canaan. We have the
Scriptures, the Word of God, yet when we read a command, we say – that must be
for someone else – surely not me.
Abraham believed, he had faith.
At 99, he didn’t say, “Let me sleep on that and make plans!” No, his obedience was instant. He knew God, the El-Shaddai – God Almighty!
God spoke (with
language) to Noah, Abraham and Moses. In
the beginning God spoke Creation into being – what language did He use? Often God speaks to us through His
Creation. Each day, the daily news means
only one thing to me. God is at
work! Creation-Language. There is our body language. The saying that our actions speak louder than
our words is true. We may say God is
Love, but when our actions say otherwise, they are heard much clearer.
language) to Noah, Abraham and Moses. In
the beginning God spoke Creation into being – what language did He use? Often God speaks to us through His
Creation. Each day, the daily news means
only one thing to me. God is at
work! Creation-Language. There is our body language. The saying that our actions speak louder than
our words is true. We may say God is
Love, but when our actions say otherwise, they are heard much clearer.
When I was a child, my first memory verse, God is Love, meant little to me.
As I near the sunset years of my life, God is Love, those three words, become a huge mountain of
truth. God is Love is the foundation of the Who, God is. God is Love… is a lifeline to Righteousness
and the Forever. God is Love…brings hope
and joy into our lives. God is Love….is the language He
speaks. God is Love… is what makes life worth living. God is
Love… is the glue that holds us together.
God is Love “gave his
one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life.” (John 3:16
As I near the sunset years of my life, God is Love, those three words, become a huge mountain of
truth. God is Love is the foundation of the Who, God is. God is Love… is a lifeline to Righteousness
and the Forever. God is Love…brings hope
and joy into our lives. God is Love….is the language He
speaks. God is Love… is what makes life worth living. God is
Love… is the glue that holds us together.
God is Love “gave his
one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life.” (John 3:16
Taking a phrase from Gary
Chapman (Five Love Languages), I
wonder what language God understands when we talk to Him…
Chapman (Five Love Languages), I
wonder what language God understands when we talk to Him…
The Touch
– Recognizing His Presence. Words
of Affirmation – Praise and Adoration.
Quality Time – Seeking His Presence in study and prayer. Acts of Service – Giving from what
He has given me to give others, using our hands, our feet and our hearts. Receiving Gifts – Accepting Jesus
Christ as our Savior, Accepting blessings, answers to prayer, the seeming
coincidences of life as His leading.
– Recognizing His Presence. Words
of Affirmation – Praise and Adoration.
Quality Time – Seeking His Presence in study and prayer. Acts of Service – Giving from what
He has given me to give others, using our hands, our feet and our hearts. Receiving Gifts – Accepting Jesus
Christ as our Savior, Accepting blessings, answers to prayer, the seeming
coincidences of life as His leading.