Love is Action.

Here we go. 

Just another blog post about the four letter word that makes most people gag... L-O-V-E. 

Confession: I used to be one of those people. Before I met Tanner, I was one of those girls that would cry laugh during Nicolas Sparks movies, boycott Valentines day and even pretend that I didn't like chocolate or roses, all because of the nauseating feeling those connotations of "love" gave me. 

But I had it all wrong. 

Love isn't about a feeling. Love is about an action. 

This may be something that all normal people know and comprehend. But because I am not normal (in many ways) and because I have lived my life as a mostly independent, self-reliant and stubborn person, giving into the love-train was not easily accepted in my life full of carefree mantras and strategies to dodge vulnerability like a champ. And I was a champ.

But for some reason, I only saw love as a feeling. And this feeling, was to be accompanied by unnecessary drama, recklessness, heart break, mind games and too many rules on what's appropriate to say/do/wear/act like on a date and what's not (I can't wear sweats on our first date to the movies? But they're my stretchy pants and popcorn makes me bloated...). You catch my drift? (I know it's a miracle I found someone who loves that about me). 

The point is, I missed the mark completely on what the point actually is. 

In order to feel love, you've gotta give love. (go ahead and quote me on that one). 

Let's talk about Jesus.

Did Jesus just say He loved everyone? No. We know He loved everyone because He proved He did. He gave love to everyone around Him. It would be really hard to prove that Jesus literally loved everyone, if we didn't have countless stories of Him healing the whores and adulterers and saving the wicked with his bare hands. Didn't matter who they were, He loved them. 

So why is it so hard for us to love others? 

Sometimes, while married, you can find yourself getting into a mundane routine, day after day. 

But saying "I love you" everyday does not give you the allowance to cross "love my spouse" off on your daily to-do list, although somedays you feel that's the only thing you have time for. 

Loving your spouse requires action. It requires sacrifice. It requires compromise. It requires random acts of kindness. It requires following through with pinky promises. It requires trying to be better every single day. It requires WORK. It requires proving your love, rather than just stating it. 

"Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. Its the way you love your partner every day." 

I'm grateful for a husband who proves every day that he loves God, loves others and loves me. 

I'm grateful for a husband that treats marriage, and other things that involve L-O-V-E, like a verb. 

And I'm grateful that he challenged me and successfully changed the way I viewed love, simply by showing me what true love actually looks like, instead of just telling me what its supposed to feel like. 

And its a good thing for that. 

So bring on the corny chic-flicks, random flower deliveries and all of the excuses in the world to celebrate all kinds of love. 

Because you made me 'like' love. a lot. And I like that. 

P.s..... I love you too.