Also, speaking of marriage & friendship, today is my wedding anniversary. Nineteen years married to the man who has become my best friend. We met & bonded over shared goals & common vision of the "good life." But we could never be accused of being overly romantic.

God's grace has given us many good times, and his mercy has carried us through the awful ones. We've built a home & forged a life together & it probably looks nothing like the movies.

It's not a romance for the ages, but then I'm not sure I could survive that sort of thing, tbh. Instead, it's a steady, stable commitment to each other's good, no matter what.

All that to say, if God calls you to marriage, don't be afraid to be the practical couple, the kind that sticks together for the sake of a whole lot of good things beyond themselves. And don't be surprised when doing this leads you to love each better than romance ever could.