old love

Whoever came up with the saying, “you don’t choose who you fall in love with” was smoking something.

I was head over heels for the hot redneck red head in the back of my Bible class.   He was something in his flannel shirt and hiking boots drinking Mt. Dew at 8am.  Sigh.  There is nothing like new love.

At that time in my life, I would have agreed that love just hit me.  I was crazy about him and the choice was out of my hands and firmly decided in my heart, which I was unable to control for the wild beating.

That has been a few years ago.  He still makes my heart go wild, but now I am wiser.

When I stood before my family and friends and vowed “richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…..”, I had no idea what that meant and what I was getting into.  I was in my early 20’s and never had been poor or sick.  What did I know?  But that day I started a journey – one that I wasn’t smart enough to know to begin, but by the grace of God he set me on.

Since then my eyes have been opened and there have been some bumps in the road.  I have learned what love really can be.  New love is fun – but I have found old love.  This is the kind of love that you choose when things are harder – you know, when your biggest worry isn’t how to stay awake in the 8 o’clock class.  When poor, sick, rough, and unstable actually have come in to your life so that you understand what they mean – and you choose.

I choose to love my red head.

When we don’t see eye to eye – we choose love.  When we are not sure what the next month holds – we choose to stand together and love.  When he forgets to take out the trash and I burn dinner – we choose love.  When life isn’t turning out the way we planned – we choose love.

Each day that we have woken up and chosen to love each other has increased the blessings of our marriage.  14 years of choosing has added up.  Not really sure about the mathematical equation that would prove my heart correct, but somehow I love him more.  Choosing has been good to us.

Recently had a talk with someone struggling in her marriage.  She flippantly dismissed my words of comfort by saying, “You don’t understand.  Your marriage is perfect and easy.”  I almost choked on my sweet tea!  Come on!!  All I could do was chuckle and let her in on my secret….

The answer to a good marriage is simply praying to God for the grace to make a daily decision to love.  Not always as easy as it seems.

Today I am celebrating those daily decisions and digging in deeper to old love.  Love this man so much I would follow him around the world…oh, right I am!  Hehe.

For those of you keeping track….yes we celebrated a family day, birthday, anniversary and we have another family day coming up in a week. September is chuck full….you are going to be tired of hearing from me!