Something Beautiful - Love

Today I am joining my friend Renee for Something Beautiful!!  I have really been loving this meme.  I start my week out purposely reflecting on something from the Lord that I find beautiful!!

More than 20 years ago, Dan and I got married and went to Florida for our honeymoon.  We spent a few days walking on the beach, loving each other, and talking about our future.  We were young and had no idea what this life had in store for us.  

Over the years, we have changed.  We’ve grown in lots of ways, we’ve been stretched when we didn’t really want to be stretched, we’ve had all the normal problems every couple has, and we’ve had problems some haven’t had.  We’ve handled some situations beautifully and some not so beautifully.  We’ve shown our love to each other so sweetly and unfortunately, there’s been times we didn’t act like we loved each other at all.  We’ve been so excited at births and we’ve mourned way too many deaths, we’ve celebrated promotion and felt devastated at lay-offs, we’ve enjoyed good health and been so saddened by sickness.  We’ve raised or are still raising 5 wonderful kids with all the ups and downs that come with that. 

But the beautiful part is, all these years later, we still love to walk on the beach at the edge of the water, we still love to hold hands, we still love to just be close, we still love to make eye contact across a room, and we love each other even more than we did back then.  

Dan and I walking on the beach in California a couple weeks ago!!

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 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. 

Counting it all Joy!!