Love is a Chameleon

People have a great variety of ideas about love. Some know for sure what it is and others are even more certain of what it isn’t. Some say love is an idealistic status – a perfect world. Others say that love, at least romantic love, doesn’t really exist.

Regardless of what any given person believes love to be, I believe love is a chameleon. And you are now asking, “How is love like a large, slow-moving, color-changing lizard?”

A chameleon – the lizard type – has two distinctive characteristics. A chameleon is slow moving and is constantly changing to meet the demands of its environment.

While there may be some cases of love at first sight, often love that is destined to be deep and abiding is slow to develop. The feeling begins in friendship and respect, and evolves over time. It grows when sustained by common goals, shared faith, borrowed burdens, freely-granted forgiveness and constant care.

Once formed, the bond of love becomes elastic, rather than rigid. The bond can stretch with physical or emotional distance and rebound to a snug secure embrace of the heart. It can twist and turn and not break, if the bond is elastic.

Also, as with the chameleon, love is ever-changing to accommodate the world around it. There is a give and take between partners as the love evolves. There are times when love is smiley and happy, spreading joy; there are times when love is wounded or despondent. At times love is flaming hot – in the passion of either love or anger – and there are times when it is cool, which isn’t always a bad thing. There are times when it is a giving element, and there are times when love is greedy.

The actions and reactions of the people in love are key to how love changes as it cycles through the various phases. Even when the love loses its luster, those who are in love with each other can choose again and again to remain in love. So no matter love’s mood, temperature, color or outward appearance, make the conscious choice whenever you have the option ­– choose love.

By Cadee Brystal, Christian fiction author