I hated Valentine’s Day growing up. My parents had a horrible marriage and the whole idea of celebrating love with candy, roses and cards in a marriage that lacked kindness and basic human decency was a joke to me.
Someone leaked that I was the author of that note. He thought it was hilarious and read it out loud to EVERYONE in our science class. Hysterical laughter followed (my friends included). My face turned as red as those cinnamon Valentine hearts. I went home sick the rest of the week. I was devastated. That was the first time I put my heart out there for anyone and it was crushed.
Even though my heart broke into pieces that day, I learned a valuable lesson on what true love isn’t.
This week, I celebrate another year of marriage with the most perfect for me, kick butt hubby a girl could ever pray for. He would never laugh if I bought a rose and stuck it in his locker. Or if I wrote him a silly little love note (which I do often).
We’ve hit a few bumps in our marriage. At times they’ve felt more like craters. We’ve stood face to face with our selfishness and pride. Our hearts have been stretched to their limit through the sorrows of our infertility journey and navigating the craziness of the adoption world.
Jesus has taught us to cling to each other {and to Him!} through the good times as well as the difficult times.
I wouldn’t trade our years together for all the chocolate in Pennsylvania.
Through all the sorrow and the bumps and the heart bruises, there has been more joy than I could ever imagine. I love this man to the moon and back. And then beyond a dozen or so times.
When things have been at their worst, I’ve cried out to Jesus:
“Lord, teach me to love.”
And He does.
