Love Endures

Posted June 11, 2009 by Sarah Johnson in Sermon Blogs Archive Tagged – Love Dare

Greg:

We met during the summer of ’92. Melika was visiting home during the break from studies at U.C. Santa Cruz. I was in the Army, and after having just graduated from a lengthy technical school, was stationed just outside her home town. We met through mutual friends. From the beginning, we couldn’t spend enough time together. When time came for Melika to go back to school, neither of us wanted the story to end there. I would drive three hours each way, so we could spend a day together during our off time. I’m not sure at what point it happened, but somewhere along the way I just knew. I knew that we were meant to be together, and that someday she would share my name.

Fast forward a year and half. As is often the case in the Army, nothing is static. I came down on orders for Okinawa, Japan. Again, neither of us wanted the story to end there. I proposed Melika accepted, and in short order we were married; we literally had less than a week between our wedding and my shipping out.

I went from one of the easiest duty stations in the Army, to one of the most difficult. It was six months before Melika and I were together again. Once she arrived, I was either on alert and moving out, or waiting the few hours for another alert call. I would come home, drop off gear caked with mud, make sandwich, and leave for the next exercise (with few words exchanged between). Melika had never seen this side of the Army. She was used to receiving the best of what I had to offer, not the scraps that were left over after an exhaustive day (or week, or month, or … you get the idea). To Melika, this wasn’t what she had come to know and love about me, and it certainly wasn’t what she signed up for. To me, she knew I was in the Army. She enjoyed herself when we had time together, and now it was time for her to do her duty and (to use an Army phrase) “suck it up and drive on!”

To say our relationship suffered is an understatement. We exchanged choice words on many occasions. Worse still, we did many hurtful things to each other. There are things that are like a rung bell: once said or done they cannot be “un-rung.” I’ll simply say it was a very difficult time for us both. Though we considered ourselves Christians, neither of us were practiced in our faith. If any good came from our difficulties, it was that we turned to the Lord for help. We found that as our relationship with Christ grew, so did our relationship with each other.

Our first wedding was not quite “justice of the peace,” but it wasn’t far from it. I had always promised Melika a proper wedding. Fifth anniversary, tenth anniversary, and so on … the years passed, and the promise remained unfulfilled. This past October, Melika and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. At long last, I was able to provide Melika the kind of wedding she deserved so many years earlier. More importantly, we renewed our marriage vows and commitments before the Lord – without whom there would be no 15th anniversary to celebrate.

Life can be difficult, and our relationships even more so. I am thankful for Christ my Lord and Melika my wife. If not for their love that never fails, truly I would be lost in more ways than one.

Melika:

Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Love never dies; love is unending; love never gives up. God’s Love living in me is unchanging; God’s will is that that I am a conduit of His Love in my marriage.

Even when Christ was betrayed, rejected, and unreciprocated by the ones He cared about, He continued to love them. “His love is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 When life is together challenging, when we are “drifting”, or when our relationship is just a “drag”, I pray that God give me the power and resolve to follow Christ’s example, to always love you as He has loved you, as He has loved me. I depend on God’s Word for inspiration and guidance. I compiled some scriptural principles to remind myself that in accordance with God’s will for my life… Love never fails.

When you________, I must remind myself__________. God’s Word says___________.

You are undeserving, Love cares more for others than for self. “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

You fail to meet my needs, Love is not self-seeking; Love is unconditional. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” Luke 6:32

You reject me, Love perseveres and never gives up; Love keeps giving anyway. “… Love endures all things…” 1 Cor 13:7

You are ungrateful, Love is kind, not proud or arrogant. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27

You are unloving, Love keeps no record of wrongs; Loves puts up with anything. “…Love bears all things…” 1 Cor 13:7

You act harshly, Love is not easily angered; Love always looks for the best in you. “…Love hopes all things…” 1 Cor 13:7

You say you don’t love me, Love is patient; Love always trusts God. “…Love believes all things…” 1 Cor 13:7

You make a mistake, Love is not rude; and doesn’t revel when others grovel. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36

When I__________, I must remind myself___________. God’s Word says____________.

I feel unloved, Love never fails. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

I feel discouraged, Love never fails. “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26

I feel like giving up, Love never fails. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

-Greg and Melika Montalvo