1 Corinthians 13

To the lover and the beloved,

There are two things your mind won’t let you forget—the intersection of Jackson Avenue and 44th Drive, and the look on his face when he told you his childhood dreams. At the scene, he let the police know you were in shock. He was right. “She was in shock.” He prophesied the feelings you would feel three nights later. He was right. You were in shock.

You had a box. Where order could be found from the chaos. But the collision and his hurt—none of it could fit inside that box. In those moments, your world no longer made sense. A green light and a left turn that was never completed. His gaze perpendicular to yours, wounded.

You said “I love you.” But now your “I love you” is being asked to step out of the box and mean something more. To say “Yes, I choose you” every morning. “Yes, I trust you” as the lights go out. “Yes, I put you first” when first place can belong to anyone else.

And your “I love you” needs to believe those words when they come from him. He will stay. Pick up the pieces of your brokenness. Restore what was once there and remind you of your beauty. From then until now until forever.

Remember that the love you both share will be perfected and refined by the One who first loved. From then until now until forever.

Sincerely, Esther