Love and romance are grand, and we all love to read happy endings. But along with those wonderful happily-ever-afters, comes a certain amount of conflict and tension. If they don’t, we usually don’t find them too interesting. Boring stories aren’t captivating.
But life is rarely like fiction. True, things can get dicey in a good romantic suspense, but how many of us are going to fall in love while fighting for our lives?
More than likely your love story is about as boring as mine. We met, got to know each other, became engaged, and then a few months later tied the knot. No dangerous car chases, gunshots or even doorbells interrupting our kisses (LOL), and no ex-lover hopping out of the woodwork to throw a kink in our plans.
Microsoft Media file
- dirty laundry everywhere but in the hamper
- cooking dinner, again
- cleaning up after dinner, again
- dust in places you didn’t even know existed
- pets
- children
- bills
- in-laws
What are you supposed to do when the butterflies disappear and reality sets in?
You make a choice. A choice to love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT) explains more eloquently than I can what love is: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Notice that it doesn’t say that love CAN BE patient and kind, but that it IS. Read verse seven again. “Love NEVER gives up, NEVER loses faith, is ALWAYS hopeful, and ENDURES through EVERY circumstance.” [emphasis mine] Even when the dirty clothes are on the floor, another meal needs to be made, or another child is sick. And may I say it can also endure through arguments, unfaithfulness, and most other things. (note: I am not suggesting anyone put up with abuse.)
But we have to make a choice. Love is not a feeling. We choose whom we will love.
In my debut novel, One Choice, both my hero and heroine have to make choices, some of them harder than others. Ultimately, they both have to choose whether to take a chance on loving one another.
One Choice blurb:
Cahri Michaels is American by birth, but Belikarian by choice. Being selected to participate in the Bridal March forces her to give up the independent life she’s created for herself. She’s not ready to be anyone’s wife, much less to a man she doesn’t know.
Prince Josiah Vallis despises the centuries old tradition—the Bridal March—that is forcing him to choose a wife from fifty women. Why does it matter that he’s twenty-five and still single?
When Cahri and Josiah meet, sparks fly. Will it ignite a godly love that can see them through or will they be burned, never to be the same?
Available at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Astraea Press
Smashwords
Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre. Even when she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, reading or writing are not far from her mind. She is president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.
Ginger, I love your post. Very well said. Love is not an emotion, but a choice. Absolutely. I also love the blurb from your new book.
Oh Ginger, this is a wonderful post -and so true. Christ’s love is the perfect example of ‘love is a choice’ and with HIS spirit does give us the strength we need to do what goes against our ‘humanness’: loving when it hurts.
Beautiful reminder
And your books sounds amazing!
Thank you, brightflute.
Thanks, Pepper. Sometimes it’s so hard to love, especially when someone gets on our last nerve. We can only strive to be like Christ and show his love. :)
Great article, Ginger! We always have a choice. To choose love… well, that’s a precious choice indeed. May we always choose to love those around us as God first loved us.
Blessings,
Andrea
I agree Andrea. Even the unlovely deserve to be loved as Christ loved us, even when we were unlovely and covered in sin.
Great post, Ginger. Love, like so many things, is indeed a choice and one that we must make on a daily basis. In addition, love should be the motive that propels our actions, which comes back full circle to that ultimate choice to love. Thanks for sharing this post and your awesome-sounding book! :)
Like the beginning of 1 Cor. says (paraphrased), without love everything we do would be meaningless. Thanks for the encouragement, Cathy.
Congratulations on your debut novel, Ginger! Love is a choice, and in today’s disposable society, so many couples are choosing to throw away their marriages because they’re not willing to make sacrifices and work through those tough times.
Thanks, Lisa. That’s one thing about love…it takes work and sacrifice – “it does not demand its own way”. :) It’s oh, so hard at times though.
Ginger, congrats on your debut book release! The story sounds fascinating :) I love this post because it reminds us that love is a verb, and a choice.
Love this article…congratulations on your new book
Linda Finn
Thank you, Narelle.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Linda, and thank you.