Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Prairie Guy and I are celebrating 12 years of marriage. What a blessing to look back and see how far we've come, and look forward with hopes and dreams of the road we are yet to travel. Truly we are blessed and I have been contemplating the "why" this past week. We are not blessed because we have it all together, or because we've truly learned the art of romance and relationship, or because we are such good communicators with one another (hah!) or because we've learned to put one another first all the time, or, or, or....

Nope. We are as human, selfish, tired, whiny, demanding and unreasonable as as the next couple. We are blessed because despite our shortcomings and failures, HE is what draws us, binds us, holds us together and brings us through, better, stronger, a little LESS like our sinful, self-centred selves and a little MORE like His loving, sacrificial self with each passing year. When I look at failing marriages, and succeeding marriages, I realize more and more that success in this Crazy Little Thing Called Love boils down to how much a person is willing to die to self.

We can look at life two ways. Through the eyes of present gratification (worldly gain) or through the eyes of eternal glorification (spiritual gain). Many, many times, you have to lay the first on the altar in order to experience the riches of the second. Interestingly (and wonderfully) what people seem to often forget is that "laying something on the altar" does not guarantee it is lost to you forever (think of Abram & Isaac). On the contrary, the blessings poured out after are often many times multiplied.

Love is not about being happy. love is not about having your needs, wants, and desires met by a human body. Love is not caresses and candlelight, roses and laughter. Love is alot of hard work, alot of dying to self, alot of service, alot of sacrifice. The first elements may or may not be by products of the second. We all know what the Bible says about love, but do we *really* think about the depth of meaning encased in "the love chapter"? I don't think we realize what an oxymoron it is to say "I love him but....." or "I really tried to make this work but...." I don't see any "buts" or "unlesses" here...

Love is patient
and kind.
Love is not jealous,
it does not brag,
and it is not proud.
Love is not rude,
is not selfish,
and does not get upset with others.
Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.
Love takes no pleasure in evil
but rejoices over the truth.
Love patiently accepts all things.
It always trusts,
always hopes,
and always endures.
Love never ends.
Now these three remain, Faith, Hope and Love
But the greatest of these is Love.

I had half an idea to write up a Post Modern 1 Corinthians 13, but I won't. You can imagine it for yourself (Love is patient until enough is enough... love patiently accepts all things until someone crosses *the* line... until death does us part or until you drive me to the point of wanting to kill you)

"I've spent (wasted) years hoping and praying he would change... I just can't spend the next X number of years hoping for something that may never happen."

Love is patient. Love patiently accepts all things. Love always hopes. Love always endures (never gives up).

"I never want to go through *that* again... I really gave him a chance to change, I just don't feel safe, loved, understood, cherished with him."

Love is not selfish. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love always trusts. Love always hopes.

Love is not about getting what we want. It's about giving what God wants. It's about LIVING 1 Corinthians 13, not about EXPECTING it to be lived out for us.

I hope and pray that God shakes our nation, our churches, our lethargic consciences to realize that the road to holiness is paved with blood, sweat and tears, and crowned with glory and victory that comes only through the cross and the bliss of learning that dying to self means living in Christ, which is a standard of living so much richer and more meaningful than anything we may desire or hope to gain on this earthly plane.

May we love our spouses with the love that Christ loves us. A love that took up the cross, stumbled wearily through jeering crowds, laid itself down, took the nails, and carried the weight of all our wrongdoing to the grave. A love that truly encompasses and lived out 1 Corinthians 13 as the example for us to follow.

To my amazing husband, I thank God for you. Like we said last night. We are imperfectly perfect for one another, and He knew. I thank God that you have the same convictions I do about this Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and for the knowledge that we are in this together, with Him, till death does us part. I love you.