Love Is...

When I was young and in love, I was wild, free, and careless. I moved based on what felt right, not necessarily on wisdom or the word of God. This was the case for almost all aspects of my life, including my relationship with Mario.

He and I fell in love almost instantly, and we were inseparable from the beginning. We were 15 years old; we didn't know much about life, but we knew that we loved each other immensely.

It's been a whirlwind relationship, and over the course of 22 years, Mario and I have grown in our love for one another. We haven't grown based on personal merits or some relationship hack that we've discovered but rather on the foundation of true love as defined by sacred scripture.

Allow me to explain.

Pop culture, American society, and deep-rooted propaganda teach us that love is a bubbly feeling that you get when you think about the object of your affection. But true love is so much more than that.

Love Is...

Saint Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians provides an excellent definition of what love is.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records 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.

In the beginning of my relationship with Mario, I thought love was that euphoria that would fill me up when I thought of him while he was away. To me, love meant yearning for the day when we could build our own lives, unburdened by constraints. My love was immature and inexperienced, but it was hopeful.

Hope served as the cornerstone for all the trials, highs, and lows that, unbeknownst to me, lay ahead on my journey. Over the course of those earliest years, during the most fragile moments, it was hope that our love would grow, hope for our young family, and most importantly, hope in God that carried us through as we grew into learning all of the elements of true love.

A Reflection of Love

The profound focus on love resonates prominently within Christianity, as the term "love" is printed over 600 times in the Bible. Through sacred scripture, we learn that God is love, and He created us to share His love and be a reflection of His love to the world (Gen 1:27). God loved us first. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son, so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16)! Our God, through the voice of Mark the Apostle, tells us that there is no greater command than to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

Love is incredibly powerful. It has the potential to conquer all things and even cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

An Expression of Action

Contrary to popular belief, love is not a feeling. Love is an active verb—an expression of action. It encompasses deliberate deeds and gestures rather than mere passive sentiment. To love is a choice that must be made multiple times throughout the day over the course of a lifetime. To practice true love in a marriage means to choose forgiveness and never hold a grudge. It's the kindness in your voice when discussing a difficult topic or being polite even after years of togetherness. True love could, of course, present as pleasurable feelings of joy at just the thought of your husband, but more so, true love is choosing to be modest not only in the way you present yourself but also in the way you carry yourself and the way you speak.

Throughout the course of my marriage, I've learned the various elements of loving Mario one at a time, and I do my best to practice them continuously. Some I've become really good at, others require conscious effort, and a couple I am still praying about. For example, I've realized that being patient with Mario is an easy habit. I like to believe that a particular element of love blossomed from hope. Both he and I always hoped for a lovely future together. Hope gave way to holding on through the bad times, which naturally led to being patient.

"Let all that you do be done in love."
1 Corinthians 16:14

"Love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8

Love is Made Complete

I find it interesting that God is love, and we were called to love one another, and when we do truly love one another, that love grows and moves outward into the world. I mean that! I write that from a personal point of view, although it's written plain as day in the Bible. Colossians 3:14 tells us to put on love because love binds everything together in perfect harmony. On this Valentine's day in the 2nd month of the 2024th year after our Lord, I urge my readers and followers to put on true love, love God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. And as an act of love, I leave you with these most profound verses of sacred scripture.

"Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
1 John 4:7-8

"No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
1 John 4:12

Love Always and Sincerely,

Chay