They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder or that long distance relationships are a waste. But the truth is both are right and both are wrong. Long distance relationships are hard and they test every aspect of a relationship; trust, love, commitment, but your relationship is not defined by the fact that it is long distance. It is not defined by the fact that you text constantly and talk on the phone, it is not defined by the fact that you don’t get to go home to each other every night, and it is not defined by the amount of miles you must drive or fly to wake up next to each other. You and your significant other define your relationship; why you decided to become a couple, why you decided to stick it through the months or years of long distance, and why it will be worth it in the end because we have our whole lives to love and to wake up next to someone we love.
My boyfriend and I were high school sweethearts and when he left for college and I was still in high school I thought our relationship was over, I thought that there was no way we could make it work and I was almost right. It is a big change to go from seeing each other every day to every couple of months. We went through rough patches where we questioned whether this was all worth it, all the texting, all the stress, and all the wondering. But we rose; as a couple we decided that our relationship was more important than the distance between us. We learned to trust better, to love better, and to learn better what worked for us. It was a hard and long first year when we decided to make it work, but I can say personally that it is doable and it is worth it.
Distance did make our hearts grow fonder and it was a waste, a waste of time stressing, worrying, and distrusting. However, it was not a waste of time, it has made our relationship strong and I wouldn’t trade the relationship we have for the world, even with the distance. So if you are struggling with a long distance relationship know that it can work, you are strong enough to do it, and it will be worth it. 1 Corinthians 13:7 is a great reminder to couples going through hard times, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” That is how you get through it, you believe, and you hope, and you endure because if it is meant to be love will find a way.
