Love is a choice

Some of you may have seen this video by now. If you haven't, please check it out!

The video shows the true devotion of a husband for his wife when life start getting tough. The most heart-wrenching thing is that he does it without her even knowing. His love is a choice, and he chooses to love her every day. Even when she doesn't want to accept his love because of her own limitations of what she thinks marriage and love should look like because of how she's been raised and the beliefs she's constructed in her own mind.

How often are our own relationships limited because of how much love we are willing to accept, how much love we think we deserve?

This video made me cry because of how beautiful their loving relationship is despite the challenges life brings them. It makes me think, "Where can I find a man like that?" Because I bet every woman reading this blog wants a man with that kind of devotion. And I bet every man wants to find a wife with that kind of devotion too. The reality is that we are vulnerable creatures, and we desire to be known and loved by someone for who we are.

What I realized is that Jesus Christ is already the fulfillment of the perfect spouse for us. Women may be more readily able to see the spousal imagery because of our earthly gender relationships. But we can think of it another way: just like the husband in the video, Jesus Christ walks by our side each and every day, choosing to love us whether we want to accept it or not. How many times has he prevented our falling when we have not even realized it?! How great is His mercy for us! Sometimes we can be like the woman walking blind in the world, but Our Lord is right there with us every step of the way, and He wants to embrace us if we will only permit him. He waits for us and he loves us unceasingly.

I cried when I saw the video. But my heart wrenches even more now at the gratitude for the love Christ shows each and every one of us every day! This is the model for what true love should be, and it finds its fulfillment in Him! We can rest in peace knowing that even if we haven't met that person who can be that devoted spouse in marriage for us yet, we already have our perfect life companion. Even if we are not called to marriage, this is still the true reality for us--we are all called to the eternal love relationship with our merciful Savior.

How would each of us act differently if we knew we were loved, fully and completely, for who we are today? If we knew that we didn't have to search anymore, but that the person is walking right beside us, patiently, always? I challenge each of us (me included) to live out that reality right now! Praise God, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!