"God lies in wait for us with nothing so much as love. For love resembles a fisherman's hook. Once the fish takes the hook, the fisherman is sure of the fish, the fisherman is assured of the catch, twist and turn as it may, this way or that. And so I say of love; the one who is caught by it has the strongest of bonds, and yet a pleasant burden....he can cheerfully forgive whatever evil is done to him. Nothing brings you closer to God or makes God so much your own as the sweet bond of love. the one who has found this way need seek no other. The one who hangs on this hook is caught so fast that foot and hand, mouth and eyes and heart, and all that is the person, belongs to God...watch for this hook so as to be blessedly caught: for the more you are caught, the more you are free." (Meister Eckhart)

I love this quote. Like a fish, we often swim away from the bait of God's love out of fear or out of something more attractive to us. At other times, we just enjoy nibbling at it, not ready to go for it. But once we are caught by the love of God, even though we still resist, eventually we learn to surrender to that love and find the freedom that love gives us. Once we know real love, why would we want to settle for imitation love?