Love. Love is one of those words that has a variety of definitions. It is one of those words that can change based on who we're loving, what we're loving, and who's loving us. I've experienced puppy love, high school sweetheart love, Lord knows you have no business with this person type of love, and lastly but certainly not least, 'till death do us part love. That's the love that God was preparing me for; the one He blessed me with. As I look back on the love my husband and I share I can't help but reflect upon how it started and what it has evolved into. I am convinced that to love means to surrender. Loving someone is a continuous surrendering of ourselves over and over and over again. Love requires us to surrender our ego, our pride, our selfish ways. Love prompts us to trust, to let our guards down, and to step aside ourselves. Surrender. Love. Surrender. Love. Keep going. Surrender. Love. Again. And. Again. And. Again.

Over the years of loving my husband I have continued to surrender to my faith. I knew my husband was my husband before I even loved him. God told me a long time ago, "that is your husband, don't mess it up!" Well, those weren't His exact words but that's the message my spirit received. I surrendered to that and dated my man accordingly. During the early stages of dating my man I had questions, I had trust issues, I had doubt, we had arguments, we broke up; we surrendered. We surrendered to continue to love one another.

Once we were engaged we still had arguments, we bumped heads, and we fought dirty. I held things in, I held grudges, I was slow to forgive; I surrendered. We surrendered to praying together, we surrendered to loving each other better, we surrendered to walking into marriage and doing it God's way. We surrendered to a lifetime commitment. We surrendered to one another.

Marriage took our love to whole new level. A level that we've only experienced with one another. Marriage freed our love for each other in a lot of ways. It provided relief and reassurance for our mutual yearning to be together for the rest of our lives. Marriage left us with new rules and commitments. Commitments to handle each other as more than boyfriend and girlfriend. Commitments to eliminate the word divorce (the D-word) from our vocabulary. Commitments to ride this out until the wheels fall off and if the wheels fall off we walk, but we walk together; hand in hand. We surrendered. We surrendered to each other. We surrendered to each other's needs, each other's wants, dreams and desires. We surrendered.

One of the greatest blessings that we have received as husband and wife is that of three children. Our love helped to create them. They keep us busy, but our love has grown just as our family has grown. Transitioning into parenthood has changed us. He's a different man and I am a different woman. We are better, but BETTER together. We have grown, but we have grown together. Quality time together is different. It is much more intentional, it is cherished, and it is savored. We surrendered. We surrendered to each other. We surrendered to each chapter in our life. We grew, we grow, we love, we surrender. We're still surrendering.

Again, I am convinced that to love means to surrender. Loving someone is a continuous surrendering of ourselves over and over and over again. Surrender. Love. Surrender. Love. Keep going. Surrender. Love. Again. And. Again. And. Again. Go now and surrender yourself. Relish in ALL of it! Because it is GOOD!!!