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“Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you’re in.” — Richard Jeni

Whoever coined the phrase “falling in love” was clueless in my opinion. You don’t fall on purpose. Falling isn’t something you typically plan. Falling isn’t a thing of which you look forward. Falling doesn’t make you feel all warm and squishy inside (unless you fell really hard and broke something). You don’t fall in love. You also don’t fall out of love. It’s a choice. We just had the option to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday. Yes … believe it or not…it was a choice. There is no law forcing you to celebrate that mess. Just like being in love; it’s a choice! You don’t fall in and out. You choose to love. You choose to not. You can’t fake love. Eventually the truth will be discovered.

Lynda Barry says that “Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.” Lemony Snicket said, “Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby – awkwardly, and often with a great deal of mess.” Hahaha.

This choice of love should be something we don’t take lightly, nor should it be something we do haphazardly. Love isn’t something you can fake until you make. In first Corinthians 13 we read the famous love selection. It’s beautiful how you can read this section and hear this section and then ignore this section all with the same person. Love is a beautiful thing. Love is something that takes work. Love takes patience. Love deals with the mess. Every person you come in contact with has a little bit of crazy in them. You simply need to decide how much, or what type of crazy you can handle.

If you are currently in love…keep that thing watered, fed, fertilized. Build that love. Years ago I was told that love isn’t 50/50…it’s 100/100 where I am constantly giving my best hoping they are constantly giving their best knowing that some days we just can’t, and need someone to fill us up.

There ain’t any denying that having that One fills you. I praise God for “my one”. And, speaking of God, please know that God isn’t going to send you someone else’s love, ok? Stop thinking that God desires you to have someone else’s person. That ain’t God, alright? He doesn’t work that way.

Just in case there was any confusion on that topic.

Love truly, as 1 Corinthians 13:13 says is the greatest and never fails. Don’t fake that mess. Embrace it. Grow with it. Set the example of love in your relationships. Love truly, truly, truly never fails. Get to loving!

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com.