What does Love look like?

'Tis the season of Love. Valentines day is right around the corner. Store shelves are covered with cards for loved ones, chocolates, valentines, wine and many other items to celebrate the season. But what does love really look like? The truth is, love is not a big giant chocolate covered heart, although I do love a big giant chocolate covered heart. Love looks different for everyone. Love for some is gifts wrapped in big sparkly bows. Love for others is holding hands walking down the street. Love can be a text in the afternoon saying "I'm thinking about you" or a favorite homemade supper after a long day of work. There is not a perfect picture of love, and truth be told, love is far from perfect. Love can be so easy to do at times and so hard to do others. Looking around at all the couples in our lives, we turn to them and wonder what makes their marriages work. How can their marriages survive 32 years? 38 years? 62 years??

I asked several people what love looks like to them, their answers varied but you could still find a common theme. Several people responded immediately by saying "That's a hard question" Here are several responses I received:

"Good times and bad times. Being able to talk about anything and not get angry. Feeling like you are going in the same direction in life, similar aspirations, all centered in Jesus."

"Love is both comfortable and comforting. It is funny and fun loving. Being able to handle conflict in an understanding way, it is not always easy."

"Sacrificial"

"Spending time with me and doing act of service. Not necessarily a note or a coffee. A room cleaned, garbage hauled, my vehicle cleaned etc."

"A baby"

"Selflessness. Putting someone's needs before your own. The joy of witnessing someone else's happiness Having a full heart. Unexplainable contentment, connectedness and joy shared by two people"

Love takes talking, honesty and God. It takes humor, being able to laugh together. It takes having roots or a home base. It takes knowing you can always go to your partner with big issues or small issues and knowing they care. Love takes hard work. But as with anything else in life, hard work pays off, because Love is truly something amazing. And true love conquers all.