by Meadow Lark

Created on: January 05, 2010

There are many secrets and mysteries in life.   It does not matter if you are rich and famous or poor and ugly.  We all have a desire to be loved.

To truly love someone is one of life’s richest delights.  These delights are multi-faceted and can feel a bit like a roller coaster ride from time to time.

Poets have written about love for centuries.  Many of them confused love with lust.  If your goal in life is to have numerous sexual conquests, it is possible to feel quite empty afterwards.  Love is the opposite.  True love can leave you quite fulfilled, even without constant sex.

God has shown each of us grace, mercy and love.  One of the most important secrets of love is to understand that true love comes from God.  If you can accept God’s love, it may be easier for you to understand and love another.  God’s love is eternal and is the best model for staying in love.

While there are no guarantees in life that your spouse or loved one will love you forever, most of us realize it is worth the risk to take the first steps towards love.  Some take baby steps toward love; others fall off the side of a mountain.

Many a couple with grey hair can testify that staying in love is sometimes work.   Just as a dedicated climber plans, studies the best route for the climb and respects the physical restraint that the climb requires, so is the commitment to staying in love.  It is not until you reach the top of the mountain that you can fully enjoy the beautiful view.

There is an old silent movie entitled, “Sunrise” that my husband introduced to me years ago.  If you ever have the pleasure of watching this black and white movie from another era, you will hear no words; however, your heart will be caught up in the emotion of the story.  It is the typical story of love.  A man and woman fall in love, marry and have a child.  The husband becomes burdened over time and realizes his beautiful wife is changing.  While he is away traveling on business, he meets another woman who is beautiful and enjoys having a good time.  He is tempted and very happy with the other woman for a season.  In fact, the more he falls for the new woman, the more contempt he seems to have for his old life.  Thankfully, the story does not stop there.  The husband and wife work together to make a life and honor their marriage vows.  By the end of the film, they are more deeply in love than they were in the beginning.  They appreciate what they have.  There is a reason that Sunrise is one of the most beloved silent films.  It strikes a chord in all of us.  A well known secret among grandparents and great grandparents is that staying in love is not always easy, but it can be a delight.

Over a long period of time, a married man and woman will experience many things together.  Just as a puzzle is joined piece by piece, so is life.  We don’t always understand our loved ones, but as time goes on the pieces begin to take shape.  There are hurts along the way.  There are arguments, unless you are both sheep.  There are also wonderful feelings of physical ecstasy and strong emotional attachments.  Our finances, families, sorrows and joys become enmeshed with our loved one.  

Faith, hope, love, but the greatest of these is love.  It is a secret worth sharing.

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