love is not a hallmark card

being from kansas city i only buy hallmark cards because i grew up hearing buy MOKAN first. since hallmark is headquartered in my home town, i represent and support my local small businesses. lol. the other reason i only buy hallmark cards is because they say exactly what i want to say without me having to take the time to formulate it. yes, i am a lazy writer some days. definitely why i have yet to publish a book and i actually write very well. and i'm a good story teller but you don't need me to tell you that unless i can back it up with a book you can purchase, right?

anyway, i am looking forward to getting random sappy hallmark cards from my boo that talk about how much he loves me and how the world stops whenever we touch and magic happens when he looks in my eyes. you know, the sappy stuff. but i'm also looking forward to walking out tangible love with him. the kind of love that goes beyond catch phrases and cliches. i'm looking forward to living 1 corinthians 13 with him and our children.

tonight at church our pastor talked about what it means to be marked by love. he suggested for us to truly understand who God is we should insert his name in the 13th chapter of 1 corinthians. so it reads:

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

amazing. it does give you a better understanding of God's character. and shows how amazing his love toward us truly is. but then our pastor went a step further and suggested if we were to truly mature in our love walk and to be stamped by love, we should consider replacing love with our name, just like we did with God's name. how awesome would it be for someone to be able to say nourisha is patient. nourisha is kind. nourisha does not envy. nourisha does not boast. nourisha is not proud. nourisha does not dishonor others. nourisha is not self-seeking. nourisha is not easily angered. nourisha keeps no record of wrongs. you get the picture. if i could marture in those areas, i can only imagine how awesome my marriage will be. nothing will make it perfect but growing in my love walk will certainly path the way for success.

that's some serious food for thought and while i might find those words on a hallmark card, i won't find the grace to grow in love in a card. that comes with me seeking the face of God as i walk out this thing called life. i just hope that when i say i do to my hubby, he knows that he's getting a wife who desires to serve him in love.