3 truths of true love.

Tonight i’m thinking about my kids and wondering where love will find them in the coming years. They’re young…and true love is coming someday, somehow. i come from a crazy place when it comes to love. Ya see, God dropped my true love on me when i was 15 and after a stint as BFFs, forever became the plan. So, i like to think i’ve got something to offer the new-to-love young ones out there (and living in my casa, too). So tonight, i pondered what i would tell them about true love…here goes:

1. Words should be written.

Never underestimate the power of written words. Words invite magic. Brent and i have history. We’ve shared a deep, bumpy, breathtaking ride and by some miracle of teenage hoarding, we’ve amassed a pretty impressive archive of notes and letters throughout the years. My almost-50-year-old brain whitewashes the depth of the struggles and joys. But, when i open our big ‘ol binder of notes, i hear our story narrated by our 16-year old voices. Happy, carefree times dripping with inside jokes and song lyrics.  Painful and seemingly unfixable arguments written out with tear-stained spots. 

The moments you’re experiencing NOW will never feel the same later; the closest you can get is words written. It’s magic to re-read the words of first love.

In this digital age, written words are rare. Bring ’em back. Hold ’em close. Write words.

2. Experiences stick; stuff gets lost. 

I remember one of the first gifts Brent gave me when we started dating in 1986. It was a shiny gold rope chain bracelet. Yep. That’s right, people.

Gold. Rope. Chain.

Oh how i loved it. I was pretty sure it would be on my arm forever and ever, amen. And it lasted exactly 5 class periods. To this day, i’m convinced given enough time and man power i could find it in the yellow locker section of Marcus High School. Here’s the deal…as lovely as my bracelet was, i have thousands of bracelet-worthy moments with my love that had nothing to do with gold. Do i wish i still had that lil bracelet to cherish and pass down to my kids? Not really. i treasure and hand down the keepsakes of our experiences…stealing water from his canteen in the Grand Canyon, our first kiss to a Journey song in my mom’s driveway, my novice attempt at making quiche (in a graham cracker crumb crust, y’all) for him during football 2-a-days, rowdy basketball games, and late-night jack in the box drive-thru adventures with The Police as our soundtrack. Live life. Treasure and share experiences. Fancy gifts just get lost in yellow lockers.

3. Focus on the unchanging.

The best advice i can give any young lovebirds is to shift your focus from the changing to the unchanging. Honestly, i didnt really pray my way through those early years with Brent. But, i know now there were many faithful folks praying hard over us. They were praying to the One who never changes, praying to the One who already had the story written out. Beg Him to lead you where/how/to what is best for you and your love. He will never fail you. Circumstances change, He never does.

i’m inspired by true love. i live in it daily. Seeing it play out in my kids’ lives will be a gift i’ll cherish for sure…like a much fancier version of that forever-lost bracelet. Words. Experiences. Our unchanging God. Buckle up, kids. Your mom is praying for you.