This is a WONDERFULLY written essay. I agree with very point you made, some of which I hadn't thought of before. It fits in pretty nicely as a precursor to my pastor's sermon last Sunday, on the topic of marriage. Especially the latter part about not "taking breaks" and the like.

As a person who loves to love, it really makes me put my past relationships in perspective. My very last one was incredibly hard, because I loved my ex-boyfriend far more than he loved me. We had different definitions of love, his being strictly utilitarian and strictly based on cold logic. I didn't understand how he could "love" with no emotion at all. I'm an emotional person, but I like to think that I strive to balance emotion and commitment. In any case, the relationship was a dismal failure when he chose to end it for reasons I'm not even sure (officially, he said it would be "too hard" on us and if things were still "good" between us we'd get back together in a few months. As it turned out, he made absolutely no effort to keep up our friendship after he broke up with me which led me to believe he couldn't handle the fact that I loved him and desired our relationship to be under God. He said he was a Christian, but his actions never led me to believe he truly understood and had the Holy Spirit withi). I've come to realize that I had all the signs that the relationship would fail. That is, we had different views on the subject and he would never be one to debase himself by submitting his life fully to God. Among other reasons, but those were the two main ones.

It really gives me hope, reading this, that I'll find someone. I'm not sure if I believe in "one true love", since I do believe God has someone picked out for me as the case may be. So I suppose my view is that yes, God has someone in mind for me, but it's not necessarily the great story book romance. Who knows.

In any case, this review has gone on long enough. I just want to reiterate how much I loved this essay. I find it's very important in this self-centered society. It would be my greatest joy to have someone by my side, to be one flesh with a man with God in our center. I love to love people, and I hope someday I can have family. And we will serve the Lord.

An interesting essay. Definitely an inspiring piece for anyone who's struggling through a relationship, or trying to rekindle a burnt-out flame.

I won't argue with the morality of sex before marriage, but one question comes to mind: what if someone has these kinds of honest, sincere feelings for someone of the same sex? Is that any less love? Nearly everything you've written here can apply to a same-sex relationship. Why would God have given us the capacity to feel these beautiful emotions for another human being if it's so "sinful?"