This week my neighbor passed away at the age of 80 after being sick for quite some time. He truly seemed to be loved by everyone he ever met, and he never seemed shy to meet a new face. His jokes and his hour-long conversations would truly “turn that frown upside down,” and make you learn new things, that honestly, you probably weren’t supposed to know.
He loved wholeheartedly two main people in his life. His wife and God.
Looking through pictures of him and his wife, I realized how they were each other’s main supporters in life. Being “in love” is so much more than any diamond ring and piece of paper stating two peoples' love for each other. Being “in love” takes support, compassion, and most of all God.
God is the kind of love to long for. True selfless love. Love where it doesn’t matter what clothes the other person is wearing, how much money they have, or if they make you #relationshipgoals.
It’s the love you get when you, like my neighbors, had been married for 59 years and still made each other smile every day.
It’s the kind of love that starts with simple things and moves on to bigger things, while having God first and most importantly in the relationship.
“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place.” -Ezra Taft Benson
So what does it mean to truly put God first?
It means trusting in his plan, not rushing into the fast life, taking care of each other’s faith life, and talking about God in your relationship.
First off, it may seem easy to think, “Okay, trust in God’s plan, got it!” However, in life sometimes things get tough and trusting in his plan is not always the easiest thing to do. That’s why, in a relationship when things do begin getting tough, you have to stick together and remember that God does have a plan for you both, and to trust that sooner or later things will work out to how they are meant to be. Second, don’t rush into the fast life. Dating young there are many pressures of being the perfect couple and having everything always seem to be all high and mighty. Being in a relationship shouldn’t revolve around how others see you. The next thing you should focus on in a relationship is to take care of each other’s faith life. Staying strong in faith and going to Church together can bring you both closer and have a strong effect on keeping God at the center of your relationship. Finally, talk about God in your relationship. If things get tough sit down and pray together. Talk about how you see God in your daily activities. Pray together before meals and before you go to bed. Talk about God and who he is to you.
I truly believe God is the kind of love to long for. Putting him first in a relationship will help everything else fall into place.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' -Luke 10:27
