A quote that I read by Taylor Swift the other day really stuck out to me. It said, "When I look at that person [who is right for me], I'm not even going to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 27 seconds when I was eighteen."
The media likes to claim that you're nobody if nobody loves you. Take risks, wear your heart on your sleeve, follow your heart, fall in and out of love, and pursue romance no matter what the cost. Love is a game. Books, songs, movies, tv shows... the message is everywhere.
But, I can't help but disagree. Love is something that should be taken seriously. The book that most accurately describes love is the Bible. One of my favorite passages declares the following:
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
How beautiful is that??? Love isn't about fulfilling your own needs; it's placing his or her needs above your own. It's selfless. Marriage was created to paint a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ is the bridegroom, and he always protects, he's always patient and kind, and his love never ends. That being said, true love waits. Yes, I have one of the rings, and I'll only take it off to put on my wedding ring. I know many people who are astounded by my decision to wait, but for me, it's simple: if I love my future husband, I'll wait for him.
And, you know what? God has the right person set aside for you already. You have no idea how exciting that thought is to me. He or she will be beyond worth the wait. Like Taylor Swift said, when you're with "the one," you won't think of...
*The one who broke up with you during a phone call or through a text message.
*Someone who used you.
*A celebrity you've crushed on for ages but will (in all probability) never meet.
*The one that got away.
*The one who cheated on you.
None of that will matter because true love lasts. So, wait for the right one. And, while God's preparing he or she for you, prepare yourself.
Wait.
"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
~ Traditional wedding vows
