“A friend of mine recently shared what
he considered to be a choice learning experience. It was provided by his young
son. Upon returning home from his day’s work, this father greeted his boy with
a pat on the head and said, ‘Son, I want you to know I love you.’
The son responded with, ‘Oh Dad, I don’t
want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.’ Here was a boy
conveying a much-needed message.
The world is filled with too many of us
who are inclined to indicate our love with an announcement or declaration.
True love is a process. True love
requires personal action. Love must be continuing to be real. Love takes time.
Too often expediency, infatuation, stimulation, persuasion, or lust are
mistaken for love. How hollow, how empty if our love is no deeper than the
arousal of momentary feeling or the expression in words of what is no more
lasting than the time it takes to speak them….
We must at regular and appropriate
intervals speak and reassure others of our love and the long time it takes to
prove it by our actions. Real love does take time.”
Marvin J. Ashton, "Love Takes time", October 1975 General Conference
Read entire address here, or watch the video below:
