For you, I will

(c) CaseyTempletonPhotography

 A while back I turned to Thesaurus.com for an essay and searched the world "unrealistic." I was not surprised to find that its synonyms included words such as "nonsensical," "nonpractical," and just plain "silly." I was, however, more than surprised to see that "romantic" made it on that synonym list. And we're not even talking about the literary genre of Romance, but the 'love' aspect of it. Consequently, I found that the romance was generally defined across the board as "amour," "enchantment," "impractical," and even as a "hazard."

Then, a week ago I came across an article stating that married couples are now a minority in American households. It is even more disheartening to think that in America today, the average length of a marriage lasts between 7-11 years.

So it had me thinking, is romance really unrealistic? How can I look forward to my future spousal relationship that is "oh-so-meant-to-be" when all we ever hear saddens our spirits?

My conclusion?

I don't have all the answers-and I may not anytime soon. But I know this:

"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." 1 John 4:18 (NLT)

As Albert Barnes put it, "If a man had perfect love to God, he would have no fear of anything - for what would he have to dread?" Nothing. But what does that have to do with punishment? In most cases, we fear what is to come because of the possible consequences of our sins (punishments). Barnes goes on to explain that anyone "whose mind there lingers the apprehension of future wrath, shows that love in his soul has not accomplished its full work."

Until that times come, I will continue to remind myself to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).