Love is a decision

OK so part of intentional life is my marriage!  I know some of you have read my facebook status when I have written how much I am blessed by God giving me my wife.  As I listen to the radio and watch TV I look at how we as a culture have minimzed marriage!  If you are happily married great if not then I will pray that God will work on your heart and help you see His plan.  You see I am truly blessed, but it isn't always easy there are frustrations and times when I don't feel loved or that my needs aren't being met.  What need to tell you is that doesn't matter you see it's not all about me.  God has trusted me specifically with my wife Jan and all my Kids ( That aren't so much Kids anymore).  That's right for some reason God thought that I could lead them spiritually.  I don't mean lording it over them but setting the example, talking through things with them, basically doing life together and working out our Salvation.  They watch me and how I handle things and how I talk to people.  Am I perfect (Ha,ha,ha,ha) talk to Jan and you will see how far off I am but that's OK cause you see God takes up the slack for me.  Does that mean I don't have to try absolutely not it just means that when I totally screw up ( which I do many times) He is there and gives grace to me!  He somehow allows my wife to put up with me and she sometimes gets very frustrated with me.  Now some of you out there are divorced and you know that happens.  It is not God's plan but it happens there is grace for that as well if you are re-married then love that spouse.  You see you decide who you love and who you do not love.  Yes that's right oh there is infatuation and lust and attraction and twitterpatedness but ultimately you make the decision who you are going to love and not love.  I made a decision  over 23 years ago now to love my wife.  Not love her if or because but just to love her and God has honored that by giving her the patience to live with me.  Guys we are told in Ephesians to love our wives as Christ loved the Church that is not a suggestion that is how we are commanded to love our wives.  You know what that means?   No matter what we are to love them.  Every morning I wake up and look over and fall in love with my wife all over again and say to myself God you have blessed me with this wonderful woman and I choose to love her thank you for this blessing!  My prayer is that each of you reading this will find that whether you are dating, happily married, not happily married, divorced and dating, divorced and re-married.  Look at the other person and remember they are a child of the King and He has blessed you for this time to be in their lives so enjoy the blessing don't let the enemy edge his way in!   When frustration or whatever come in remember you decide what you are going to do are you going to choose to love through it or not the decision is yours!  Now if you are in an abusive situation then I would say get out cause I believe God does not want that!  If you are divorced this not a condemnation but to let you know God can and will forgive that but please understand what kind of love He is telling us to have towards our spouse and don't date someone you would not consider marrying guard your heart!  I love you guys and thanks for listening to my rant!  I just don't want the enemy to win against marriage and family and it breaks my heart where we have gone.