Valentine

Long ago, when I was a girl and the emotions of love hit rock bottom, these words came and counseled me.
"Love is a decision."
Who the heck wants to be loved as a decision? I thought. How unromantic!
I wanted to know that the tide of attraction and destiny was enough to sweep someone off their feet.
But it wasn't.
At least not in my experience.
"Love is a decision."
The words kept coming and nibbling at the corners of my consciousness, changing the shape of what I thought I wanted.
So when he came, desiring to court me, I could entertain the discussion even though we were walking on the shore line, feet barely wet.
So I prayed.
And God told me to proceed.
To make the decision to love as He guided.
And I realized some months into the relationship that the quote was unfinished, incomplete.
It should read, "Love is a decision that precedes emotion."
Because I ended up swept off my feet and washed out to sea.

After sixteen years of marriage and babies, I am now, desperately thankful to be decisively loved.
Loved with a decision that precedes and succeeds emotion.
A commitment as consistent and powerful as the tide.
There's really nothing in the whole world as romantic as that.