True Love is Loyal

for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part vows exchanged by a clueless couple back in 2011.

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. from a lover to her beloved.

If there’s one thing that is tested in every relationship – it’s loyalty. It’s one of those simple, yet profound things in life. Something that one grows in life experience more than a simple assent. And when Jan and I exchanged our vows 9 years ago, I had no idea how much my loyalty would be tested.

To stay true to the object of one’s affection is to be present, to listen, to deny all other distractions, barriers to intimacy and to cling on to the one who is loved.

To stay true is not to choose once, but to choose everyday to love.

True love is unapologetic in it’s exclusivity because it demands loyalty of the highest order. Nothing less that 100% will do. That is commitment. Loyalty.

For love to be truly love, it needs to go past the flutter of emotion, the infatuation, the flirtatious moments (in Bollywood, that might mean dancing around trees with ever changing scenery and wardrobe), it needs to go beyond these to commitment.

To commit means to respect, to honor, to cherish. To value and be as much a partner in life as a cheerleader. If we are to be honest, how successful have we been in the area of commitment in marraige? How about loyalty? Don’t we try to escape, runaway. Don’t we try to take things easy. Do we resist the call to commit more fully to our partners?

True love is loyal even in offense. True love keeps no record of wrongs and is quick to forgive. It is to listen to the heart, to hear the pain beyond the words and the tones.

True love is enduring. Doesn’t give up on the other even when they are being impossible. Endures all seasons of life – being broke, emotional, moral, spiritual struggles, ageing, sickness.

True love reflects the love of God. God is love. And his love is loyal. When we find ourselves short on love, there is a reservoir of love one can find in his loyal love.

This valentines, renew your pledge to your loved one. Repent of our disloyalty, and recommit to cling more strongly. For true love is as strong as death.