His Love Is Always New

A year an a half ago, I received a short letter from Dave. We had only been on two dates, and he sent the letter to me at work through one of our mutual friends who I work with. In it, he described a mixed emotion of having just lost his father but also being bolstered by the excitement of our courtship. It was a very touching and encouraging letter, and left me with butterflies in my stomach until I saw him again.

Since that first letter, I have received many more. A couple months later when Dave left for D.C. for a week, he left me with a letter that ended with "See you tomorrow...", and he wasn't going to be back for five days. Each day he was gone I received a beautiful letter from him, and on the back of each letter was a story of something I didn't know about him. It was so romantic, and as the months passed Dave would always creatively surprise me with little gifts or notes, and our relationship bloomed so wonderfully.

Last June, out of the blue, I came home from work and walked into my bedroom and saw this:

Little hearts and notes all over my room!

For Valentines Day earlier that year, Dave had made me this acronym. He surrounded it with some hearts!

Here's a closer look:

 And of course, a letter in the midst.

"There are 100 of these cards, exclusing the hearts."

He put eyes on them! Isn't he cute?!

"I remember the first time I kissed you, your heart was racing!"

"Let's follow Christ together."

"I love you!"

All of this is just wonderful, and it seems never-ending. There is always a surprise around the corner with Dave. This kind of love where we are constantly pursuing each other creates a freshness in our relationship, a newness to our love. I picked Dave up from the airport tonight after not seeing him for seven days, and I was nervous. Yes, nervous. (After being together this long? really?) I was going at least 10 over the speed limit the whole way there, even driving up to the terminal, and as I saw him standing there waiting for me, I felt butterflies in my stomach. As I rushed in for a hug and kiss, I reveled in how tall he is, how strong his arms feel around mine, how soft his kiss, how warm his neck is. Things I already know, but still seem so new.

As we head into our second Valentines Day together, I am feeling so thankful for God's blessing of Dave in Zachary and I's life, thankful for Dave's creativeness in pursuing my heart, and thankful for the love we share. It is truly a beautiful thing.

"You do not love her because she is beautiful...

She is beautiful because you love her."