I would love to hear your comments on this, claimed or anonymous!
So I was reading on one of my favorite blogs this morning about one of my most passionate subjects to discuss...love in our most intimate human relationship. Here is my take on it.
Spousal love is not involuntary, it is easy to love someone else when we are "feeling" loved, appreciated, pursued. We don't "fall" into love. We choose to love. We choose to love before we know all their faults, all their past and current sins (and the ones we'll find out in the future), before we know they shut down when they are stressed, that they like to fart at the dinner table, and most of the time before we know if they'll love us back. So when all the things we didn't know about them come to light, we choose to love them because they make us laugh, because they love our kids, because they know when we are upset or hurt, because they let us fart at the dinner table :), because they are gifted by God, because we stood in front of our family and friends and made a covenant with them and with God to choose to love despite the circumstances. We aren't perfect either, why would we hold them to that standard? Love them. Make the choice.
2 comments:
When I was engaged, I remember an old lady telling me that sometimes she had to look at her wedding band and say to herself, "I made a commitment. I may not like him much right now, but God put us together and I need to remember my commitment.". Of course I thought she was crazy at the time. My immature, naive perspective was so wrong! Oh how her words ring true after 7 years of marriage! We choose to keep loving just as we choose to daily walk with Christ, choose to eat that chicken fried steak that we know is going right to the hips and apparently for some of us, choose to fart at the dinner table. :)
What an amazing post. What is even more amazing is that Melanie has lived this post out. She has been so patient with me to grow in the areas I am weak and even in the ones I "chose" not to be healthy in. I have been so destructive to the soul of Melanie but she has "chosen " to love me. What an amazing woman I have beside me to show me the Love of Jesus. Now I "choose" to follow her example and ultimately the example of Jesus.
Here is my favorite part. "We choose to love. We choose to love before we know all their faults, all their past and current sins (and the ones we'll find out in the future)"
I just wish she would not have busted on me farting at the table.
I love you Melanie
Barrett
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