Growing in Love

When a relationship first begins, we often fall in love with the best parts of one another. There is often a physical attraction that pulls two souls together. The time together is spent admiring, seeking and cherishing, blinded to any blemishes.

Over time, as that relationship progresses, we learn to grow in love with the parts of one another that change.

We learn to grow in love with one another's faults; with one another's "worst" aspects; with one another's idiosyncrasies. We learn to give up parts of ourselves to make whole the unity together...as our bodies grow older together.

And then, there comes this moment..

This moment when falling in love transforms.

And growing together in love takes over.

There are moments of 50/50.

And days of 100/0.

There are moments of grand gestures.

And moments of grand failure.

It’s walking hand-in-hand as the enemy

works overtime to walk in between and wedge

Growing together means parting ways with

your need to be right. And swallowing your

pride, simultaneously.

It is forgiving the littlest hiccups.

To the greatest mistakes of all.

Growing in love means stepping back,

so your partner can step forward.

It is working on a forever friendship.

That accentuates the simplest of

moments and time together.

Growing in love means cheering one another on, and picking one another up, when life knocks us down. All while sheltering together under God's Almighty wings, amidst the unexpected blows of life’s storms.

It is founded in trust.

Wrapped in grace.

And blanketed with forgiveness.

Above all, growing in love is a work of the heart…

Working to respect.

Working to listen.

Working to communicate.

Working to balance.

Working to fill the holes one

another’s holes and gaps.

Growing in love is, by far, the grandest reciprocation of all. Two hearts selflessly giving to one another, until they are bonded in a way that allows nothing to tear them apart.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7