When Blue and I first met in 2003 we quickly decided that we did not like each other. And I mean even as friends. We pretty much avoided each other for about a year. In 2004, for a number of reasons, our worlds collided and we realized that our first impressions were totally off base. Blue quickly became one of my best friends and also one of my main sources for dating advice. However, we were both surprised, and relieved, when the Lord revealed our "last 15 minutes" with each other in 2006. Blue gave me an incredible engagement story, we said "I do", and then we walked away hand in hand to begin our life together as husband and wife.
Now its time for us all to sit down and take a deep breath...........seriously, just take a moment to sit back and brace yourself. Here it comes........
Fairytales. Don't. Exist.
Woah. I know, I know........I'm the evil messenger. As it turns out, fights don't always resolve to a sweet kiss while Boyz II Men play in the background. Apparently, Blue can't read my mind and he doesn't have an arsenal of romantic gestures to throw at me. And here is the real nail biter.......believe it or not, I actually mess up from time to time. My mess ups made me come to the conclusion that my marriage does not revolve around my ever-changing mood..............I know, I was shocked too. I was pretty surprised to discover that Blue did not have secret romantic dates planned out in advance. If Blue is being honest, he was probably a little taken back to find out I wasn't in the kitchen cooking dinner with my hair curled and my make-up on when he came home from work. My lounge pants and the shirt I wore to bed the night before definitely sang a different tune. Previous notions and expectations became laughable for both of us.
There is no possible way Blue, or any man, could possibly live up to the standard that these Blockbuster love stories create. While I could sit down with a tub of popcorn and watch Nicholas Sparks movies marathon style, I have to separate fact from fiction. But here is the AWESOME thing...........my love story is even better. It is better because it is REAL. It has its ups and it has its downs. It has laughter and it has fights. It has stupid mistakes and it has grace. Through all of the beauty and blunders that my marriage holds, there will always be romance in the fact that at the end of the day we CHOOSE to make our marriage work and grow. We choose to commit each step we take together to Christ. We choose to forgive each other for the blunders because we know that we have been forgiven by the One who loves perfectly.On October 7, 2006 we may not have ridden off in the sunset toward a life that reflects a box office hit, but we did begin a real story of love, grace and a lot of fun. Let's not let the mirage of a fairytale destroy the blessings of our reality.
As we approach Valentines Day this week let's celebrate and imitate the One who loves perfectly. He loves with forgiveness, grace, and gentleness. He loves sacrificially, fully, and without restraint. Instead of getting caught up in the Hollywood story of romance, let's treasure the gift God gave us in our spouse and make every effort to emulate His perfect love.
"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
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