Love

AL Weddings

I love my husband, and he loves me. Yet we learn to love each other better every day. Love, though a seemingly simple word, encompasses a great deal.

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 trust, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

My husband and I recited these words to each other on our wedding day. Besides being nervous about messing up, we remember hoping the words would connect with our friends and family. These words had become especially dear to us after we first revealed our love to each other many months beforehand. These words set a high ideal for love.

Yet I often catch myself saying...

"I love this brownie sundae."

"I love being able to watch my favorite TV show each week."

"I love when I get a day off from work."

1 Corinthians 13 reveals that we use the word love far too much. When we hear our Father say He loves us, it is vastly more than my enjoyment of a brownie sunday or a break from work. However, the sentiment sometimes falls flat after we've heard the word a million times in every imaginable context.

My marriage with Tyler gives me a better glimpse of how God loves me. It is such a beautiful gift.

Tyler is patient when I don't understand something. He thinks the best of my intentions. He holds me when I'm upset. He forgives me when I am in the wrong. He desires to spend time with me and listen to my thoughts and feelings. He encourages me to do my best and supports me when I fail. He brings more humor, joy, and love into my daily life than I could have previously imagined.

Yet my God is infinitely more.

Our marriage is a very personal model of how strongly our Father loves us. And trust me, our model isn't perfect, but we learn more each day. Having a partner to learn with is such a precious gift, and the Holy Spirit wants to be that very person for each of us. I look forward to many more years of learning with my Father and my husband, through both laughter and tears, and always permeated with never-ending love.