Epic Love by Steve McIlwain

Hubs here.

Part of our celebration for Valentine’s Day this year was snuggling and watching some romantic movies.  We went with two of our favorites: Moulin Rouge and The Notebook.  Those two movies take us on a roller-coaster ride through the ups and downs of love.  We get absorbed in the stories of the characters falling in love and working through their struggles.  We feel sadness and disappointment watching them endure hardships as well as excitement and euphoria witnessing their romance blossom and love conquering all (guys, if I’ve lost you, you get the same feeling when you’re watching Gladiator or a football game…maybe not as sappy as a chick flick, but you know the feeling I’m talking about).

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the glow of the silver screen and forget (or fail to realize altogether) that we are experiencing the most epic love story of all…our own.  You are the protagonist in your quest for love…the hopeless dreamer, the damsel in distress, the fearless warrior, the eternal wanderer.  Whether or not you realize it, you write another line in your love story every day.

When watching a movie we are comfortable getting swept up in the emotion of the story, all the while knowing that everything will work out in the end.  Why then do we worry so much when these twists and turns play out in our own love story?  If problems arise in relationships on the big screen, is it that much of a leap to expect relationship issues of our own?  Maybe if we frame our own issues as a carefully woven scene developing the fabric of our love story, we will be more comfortable knowing that in the end it will be used for good.

So, which scene are you living right now? Frustrated waiting to meet the right person; just had an amazing first date; went ring shopping; just got dumped; had your first huge fight; planning your story book wedding; just lived your dream wedding; trying to have a baby; lost a baby; just found out your spouse cheated on you: realized you did not marry who you thought you married; woke up and realized that you don’t love your spouse; got the keys to your first home; realized you have the in-laws from hell; got fired from your job…the list goes on.

The most epic, fulfilling love stories are the ones built on these meticulously crafted scenes.  They share joys, endure extreme circumstances, and overcome all odds so that love endures in the end.  They are tales of up and down, good and bad, pretty and ugly melodrama that keep us begging for more.  The characters fight with each other, wrestle with their true feelings, experience extreme heartache, and spend endless nights crying, and yet, in the end hold firm to the power, beauty, truth, and freedom that comes with love conquering all.  We stand and cheer for those characters, we applaud their valor, we are inspired by their conviction, and we desire their dedication.  And here’s the best part…you are that character.  Everyday you live a love story that inspires the world.  No matter what scene you are living, hold firm to your conviction for love.  Overcome the impossible.  Solve the unsolvable.  Love the unlovable.  Dare to dream a saga beyond your wildest imagination, and use your life to write the most epic love story that has ever been written…for there is no greater love story than your own.

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