This Saturday marks the 24th Valentine’s Day with the love of my life! I guess time flies when you are having fun! WOW!!!
The fun hasn’t been without a few hiccups, though.
However, the longer I live the more I’ve discovered that love really is a decision.
Marriage is certainly not some fairy tale where happiness always abides…shocking, I know. It’s more like a cruise ship on a vast ocean where storms and waves come and go, but the sunrise is gorgeous!!
Awww…love me some sunrises!!
Dr. Gary Smalley and Dr. John Trent wrote a fantastic book about this very subject several years ago that I find very pertinent today. In fact, I would highly recommend anyone in a relationship to read Love Is a Decision because it can truly change your outlook, if not your life.
Making the decision to love gives us the responsibility to love our loved ones in the good and bad times without requiring anything of the other person.
Moreover, this decision to love takes the “please change” out of the relationship equation and gives us the task of loving our sometimes unlovable loved ones even on the worst days.
Quick question: How many of us have prayed for God to change someone else (spouse, friend, etc.)? Uh, huh…you know who you are!!
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1Peter 4:8
I didn’t marry the perfect man. Go figure. But, he didn’t marry the perfect woman either (another shocker). Hee, hee!
The point is that if I had jumped ship after our first or 400th fight, I would have missed SO MANY blessings throughout these years and I would have not known the joy I have today.
It’s important for all of us to remember that bad days will end, but if we give up we will never know what could have been.
Unfortunately, people are different. We like different things, have different opinions and want different futures.
I will never want to pop the hood and change the oil, but I doubt my Valentine will ever beg me to watch Hope Floats, either.
The truth is there will be no changing of either one of us by the other or even by ourselves without God’s help.
If we don’t welcome God into our relationships and into our lives – defeat is guaranteed.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
Placing God at the head of our lives will teach us to love and forgive as He does and that’s exactly what all relationships need!!!
Think about how many times God has had to forgive you…kind of puts our own imperfect selves into perspective!
Pray for your loved one today. Not that they will change, but that they will turn towards Christ in EVERYTHING and will be filled with God’s peace, hope, joy and love!!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Some Wisdom for Today: Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
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