Love doesn't have to fade, though it will if you CHOOSE to let it.

I KNOW THIS IS A LONG READ BUT STICK WITH ME!

I've heard it said in a thousands different ways.

"Just wait until the first year is over."

"Y'all think you're in love now. It'll wear off, don't worry."

"Oh we used to be in love like that too until real life hit."

"I remember not wanting to be away from my spouse, now it's like a vacation."

"Honeymoon phase will be over before you know it, trust me, I KNOW all about it!"

To those people I say, I pity you for having such a sucky life that you want to go around squashing young couples' joy in their spouse, because you no longer find joy in your own.

Love is a choice. Love is not an emotion, it's an action. In the words of the great Clint Black, "Love is not someplace we fall, it's something that we DO!" Christ loved us by DOING something for us, when we didn't deserve it.

Every heathy relationship has debate, friction, and disagreement at times; that's how we grow. Humans aren't perfect. But we can CHOOSE to love our spouse through the imperfections, but we have to do just that, consciously CHOOSE to do so.

My bride and I have been married for over 6 years, have three children, and have been through many difficult things since we first met, but I am STILL waiting on the "honeymoon phase" to wear off. I witnessed my father and mother live madly in love with each other with 13 children until death separated them after 33 years of marriage. I have seen 96 year old WW2 veterans still as head over heels for their 90 something year old bride as they were when they first said "I do" back in the 1940's.

So, if you ever catch yourself about to try and rain on a young couples' parade, stop and think about what you're doing. Life is too difficult on its own, we should be encouraging folks to LOVE! Be the the change you want to see.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Eph 5:25

And above all things have fervent LOVE among yourselves: for LOVE shall cover the multitude of sins.