A while back I shared our love story–how Mare Cris and I met and fell in love. Words can hardly express just how happy I am right now. I’ve only been married a month (as of today), but I can’t imagine life without her.
But there’s another part of the story I haven’t shared. I left it out before because I didn’t want to take the focus off my relationship with my beautiful wife (fiancée at the time of the post).
Here it is:
I went through one of the most difficult seasons of my life before meeting Cris. I experienced two failed relationships within a period of about twelve months. A couple of those months were especially dark, lonely times for me.
Some of these personal issues happened while God was doing some amazing things in my ministry. It was ironic to say the least: ministry had never been better, but I was privately hurting—very deeply at times. Go figure.
The irony, of course, doesn’t stop there. I have written two books about love, yet that season of my own love life seemed to more closely resemble a nightmare than a fairytale.
Perhaps you can relate to some of these emotions I’ve described. Maybe your love life hasn’t turned out as you planned. If so, finding love may require tenacity on your part. You may have to be just plain stubborn about not giving up, regardless of how many times people let you down.
I could have responded differently when Cris came into my life. I could have chosen not to pursue her, thus protecting myself from another potential disappointment. I could have allowed past hurts to keep me from experiencing her love. Opening my heart once again was, after all, a considerable risk. But I chose to believe God might just have something great in store for me this time.
The Bible never promises a life free of pain—physical or emotional. But we Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit and with Jesus by our side, always have the choice to move forward with a sense of profound optimism about love and life.
I like the way Proverbs 24:16 puts it: “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”
I’m so grateful I chose the way of stubborn love. I hope you will, too.
Trust God, and don’t give up on love.
“Be prepared at all times for the gifts of God and be ready always for new ones. For God is a thousand times more ready to give than we are to receive.” -Meister Eckhart
