What Is Love?

On July 9, 2025, Sarah and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage—and 20 years of knowing each other. Looking back, I can honestly say that love, real love, is far deeper than what most people imagine.

When people talk about “love at first sight,” it sounds magical—and for many, it is. But for me, it wasn’t just her smile or her beautiful 5’2” frame that caught my attention. Every time I saw her at church, she stood out. Something about her drew me in. I would find myself pausing just to watch her, not in a superficial way, but with a deep curiosity I couldn’t quite explain.

Then came a moment that changed everything. One Sunday, during a powerful altar call filled with dancing and worship, I saw her truly worshiping God. That’s when it hit me: this was more than physical attraction. What pulled me in was her love for God—the way she reverenced Him with all her heart. It was the God in her calling out to the God in me. That was the moment I knew.

As we began dating, we talked and laughed every single day. We were both in night school, but even after class, we’d meet at a restaurant just to spend 30 minutes together. It didn’t matter how short the time was; being with her was everything. She had my heart from the very start.

On July 9, 2006, we said “I do.”

We vowed to love each other in sickness and in health, through the highs and lows, until death do us part. And let me tell you, we’ve been through it all—together.

On January 24, 2014, our son was born. That day added a whole new level of love to our lives. Watching Sarah as a mother showed me once again just how powerful love can be.

When you truly trust God—and when your partner loves and trusts the same God—it changes everything. That kind of foundation makes the journey easier, even when things get hard. And yes, marriage does get hard. I’ve had to relearn my wife every five years or so, because people grow, seasons change, and love evolves.

So, what is love?

Love is commitment.

Love is choosing someone every single day.

Love is trusting God’s plan for your life together.

Love is seeing the God in someone else and allowing them to bring out the God in you.

“Why love?” you might ask.

Because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And He trusted me with one of His daughters. That’s how much He loved me—He gave me someone to love and someone who would love me back.

But here’s the truth: You can’t trust love until you learn to love yourself. And you can’t truly love yourself until you understand just how deeply God loves you.

That’s what love is. And that’s why I’m still saying “I do”—every single day.