When I think about love never failing, I think of God’s love. As humans, we are imperfect, and because of that we fail, even unintentionally. God is perfect, and His love is an unfailing love.

I spent decades feeling like God had failed me. In the midst of agony, I felt alone, and couldn’t feel Him. I blamed Him and hated Him for allowing evil things to be done to me, and for allowing painful experiences to break my heart. I called Him every name in the book, I was angry, and I was relentless in my verbal attacks on Him. At one point I stopped talking to Him, stopped yelling, stopped having anything to do with Him. Until one day.

I called on God one day, broken, and desperate, I begged Him for a miracle, to get me to safety before it was too late. Despite the name-calling, and hatred, despite everything I’d said to God, He was there. I felt Him with me, comforting me, and giving me exactly what I needed. I got out of the abusive situation, quickly and efficiently. He never stopped loving me.

Now, I can look back at all those painful memories of losing my husband, miscarrying, rape, and I can see God there. I can see more clearly what He was doing in those moments. What He was doing behind the scenes. We often forget that people have self-will. Bad, evil things will happen, but we aren’t going through it alone. When we allow Him, when we appear to Him, vulnerable, needy, and desperate, He is there. He carries us through. His love never fails. Even when we forsake Him. Even when we call Him names. We may turn our backs on Him, but He never turns His back on us. He is love. Constant, steady, unwavering, unconditional, perfect.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it 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 with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.