Love one another as I have loved you | Day 7

Day 7 of the #scripturechallenge -

There are a lot of verses that make me think about marriage. I can honestly say that being married has taught me so much about faith, trust, and God but also that- GOD has taught me so much about marriage and what real 'love' looks like. --Well, at least that his version is so much better than mine. (I still have a lot to learn.)

Anyway, today, 23 years ago, Colin and I started dating. (In the creepy blue picture below, I just turned 15.) It was 'the first picture of us.' (Yes, you can squeal like a school girl if you want to. I did.)

No, we haven't been together that entire time. Nor do we have most of the pictures from when we were younger. As I was scrolling through the ones that we do have looking for something to post here, I found some real nuggets. haha. I thought to myself about how terrible some of these are and well, again, it reminded me of our walk with God. He sees us at our worst, and our craziest, and yet HE pursues us again and again. (Rom 8:37).

While that could be the verse that I use here, I think John 15:12 deserves the proper credit. It reads; "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

I KNOW that I can credit God for my marriage. Not just because he has given Colin some crazy reason to put up with, and love, me all of these years; but also because of how God's standard challenges me privately. Throughout our relationship, it didn't matter if I was upset and feeling justified about something, or if I was super proud and on cloud nine strutting it- ANYTIME that I have had a notion about us, IF I stopped to think of God's love, it has always challenged me to go deeper and do a little more. -AND EVEN when I don't pull it off quite right, when I try to meet God's request, I always receive a greater return. <3

At this point, I'd just like to challenge YOU to do the same. Where ever you are in your own marriage. Keep pursuing God. Keep pursuing your mate and all of the ways that you can go beyond you... There is more! <3