Love & Marriage

When I dreamt about marriage growing up my expectation was the happily ever after, fairy tale kind of love that you see in the movies. One day my prince would sweep me off my feet and we would be blissfully happy for the rest of our lives. Those of you that have been married for longer than five minutes know that this is not the case. I have been married for just over 3 years and while I love my husband more each day, our relationship looks nothing like a fairy tale.

And I have never been more happy in my life.

Scotlon and I spent the entire weekend together, which in itself is rare. We did nothing out of the ordinary but it was one of the most perfect weekends that I have ever had. It wasn't what we did so much as it was the spirit in which things were done. We both compromised (1 chick flick, 1 action movie), did things we hate (I did dishes, he worked in the yard), and tried to make the other person happy as much as humanly possible. I was basking in the glow of this perfect weekend this morning, humming to myself, and trying to figure out what made it so good when it hit me.

We put the other person, and their wants and needs, first.

It's as simple, and as complicated as that. It is the part of 1 Corinthians that I think I struggle with the most. It pains me when I think of how selfish I can be and how much that can hurt the people that I love the most. It's something that I am striving to change. I want to love my husband, and people in general, the way God loves me. While I don't think it's possible to love that way, He is God after all, I can certainly do a lot better than I am now. Bible Gateway has The Message and this is what they had to say about love. You can read the entire text here.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

What aspect of love do you struggle with?