I’m contemplating a serious drive from Berne, NY to Bern North Carolina to have a chat with romance novelist Nick Sparks!
I’m sure he would welcome me and my attempts to harass him and demanding an explanation about how the most romantic man in the world is leaving his wife.
If Noah could write a letter every day for a year where did YOU go wrong? You created Noah!!! You penned quotes such as:
“I finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be.” - Dear John
I mean you EVEN wrote this:
“Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy. Remember that.” - Message in a Bottle.
Despite my somewhat dramatic reaction ( give me a moment), I guess we can gather this.
Romance novels are just that. They are enticing and lovely and everything we think we dream of. The characters face their hardships, but somehow gentle and beautiful words make even the pain seem tragically beautiful. Life, real life is different. Many times, real pain and frustration in relationships cannot be solved in a 220 pages with fluid sentences and picturesque imaginations. No, I’m afraid it’s more real than that.
As many brides will say yes this year in the utter romance of their biggest day, I pray over each of them. Love is work, love is romance, love is pain and love is real, but most of all, love is a decision.
Love does not ride on grand romantic gestures and riding horses on a beach ( don’t get me wrong, I’m all for that).
No, love is gritty. Real love probably wouldn’t sell too many novels. Love is handling life together. It’s being patient and it’s laughing. There should always be laughing. Love does not survive on a sizzling first kiss, but a million kisses that never give up over a lifetime.
I feel perhaps C.S Lewis is better quoted for his thoughts on love:
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
It's not a romance novel, but it can be a success story.
1. Corinthians 13 :)
