What is love?

The sermon was written. It would've been really good too. I was planning to preach from John 15 about how we abide in Jesus love which produces joy and obedience of loving others. I had some really creative illustrations written about what love really is. Then God interrupted my carefully crafted plans and well rehearsed illustrations. My wife went into labor Saturday evening and at 11AM Sunday morning instead of preaching, I was in an operating room hearing the first cries of a new life. I was holding my second daughter, Courtland Lee in my arms at 11:15 instead of entering the pulpit. In this moment God taught me what love truly is. See, the kind of love God has for us is agape love. That is an unconditional, perfect, and complete kind of love. I never knew how I could love another child. I not only have enough love to love my two daughters, but more than enough. That is kinda what God does for us. While we were still sinners He sent His only Son to die as the substitute for our sin. That is love and God has richly lavished it upon us. It's because God has so generously loved us that out of that flows our ability to obey Jesus' command to love others. It's not because we are good enough or have creative sermon illustrations, but we love others simply because we have experienced the love of a father-a perfect Heavenly Father. May God appropriate this truth into our hearts, beginning with my own heart.