It seemed as if she had known him all of her life, even though they just became friends when she was twelve years old. A friend had introduced her to him and she had fallen deeply in love with him…or so she thought. She was quick to tell everyone about her new guy! They were inseparable. She now giggles that she definitely would not have survived the chaos of high school without him.
As the years passed, he proved his love and devotion to her over and over. Many times she had called upon him to pray for her. He was her strength and she knew it. He shared his vision for their life together a little at a time and helped her to obtain far more than she had ever dreamed of or could have accomplished alone. Yes, looking back over the years, she could honestly say that her love for him had grown far more than she ever imagined and especially far more than the love of the twelve year old self!
Throughout her young married life, they raised four children together. He was quick to meet all of their needs. He was ever so faithful as their family battled surgeries, illnesses, heartbreaks, and insecurities. She realized he had also been faithful to support them in all of their accomplishments and to guide them to the next level in life.
Her fondest moments with him are when they read the Bible together or pray. She can truly see into the depths of his heart. He gets her…he really, really gets her and she knows that nothing on this earth can come between them.
She was ashamed to admit that there were times she hadn’t been as faithful and loving to him as she should have been. Yet, when she apologized, he was always quick to forgive. She often wondered, “How does he do that? How does he just say, “It’s okay, our relationship is as good as new!”
Even after all of these years, he still tells her that he loves her every single day in one way or another. She loves him too, but the cares of this life often cause her to forget to say it as often. She knows that he knows how she really feels about him. She appreciates the fact that he understands she can be stubborn, easily depressed, compulsive, and forgetful. She’s positive that he has chosen her for life in spite of all her flaws. The best part is the fact that he has promised to meet her in Heaven when this life is over.
Just this morning as she was getting ready to scramble a few eggs for breakfast, she looked down in the skillet and saw the reminder he had given her of his love. She smiled and replied, “I love you too Lord.”
Happy Valentine’s Day Folks! Take the time today to reflect on Jesus’ love for you!
We love him because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
