Real-life Romance: Love is a Verb

Would you consider a video game a romantic gesture? Author Sara Beth Williams is chatting about a time when her husband surprised her with just that. And how she found it romantic indeed. Read on.

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​My now-husband and I met at a Christian concert event in 2005 where he and I along with several other college students spent a weekend camping and enjoying contemporary Christian music. There weren’t any huge romantic gestures, btu there was absolutely an inward pull toward one another.
 
Ove the years, we’ve both made romantic gestures toward one another, like when I bought NFL tickets for our first year anniversary (and they were stolen off our porch) Or when he bought Toby Mac concert tickets for my birthday, or Switchfoot concert tickets for our anniversary.

We’ve been open about what we like and want to see from one another. I am a huge proponent of communication, and I believe that ‘expecting’ your spouse or significant other to know everything you want is unrealistic and unfair for everyone involved. 

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​However, love is not about what you want from the other person. Love is not about what they want from you. As the old DC Talk song goes, “Love is a verb”, an action, a posture of the heart. Love is about service, and what can you do for the other person, regardless of what they’ve done or will do for you.
 
One of the big reasons I love my husband is because he’s such a good father and an extremely hardworking person. He loves family and puts family above everything.
 
Aside from the dinners and concerts and romantic getaways, some of the most romantic gestures are when he comes home early from work to be with the kids or help with the endless amount of chores. But recently, he bought a brand new, just released game for the Switch. I don’t think he intended it to be a romantic gesture, in fact he was cautious about it and kept asking me, is this okay? He was looking for something for us to do together that we were both into - but the game grabbed the attention of both our kids. In a short time,­ we all four began taking turns playing, and for two months it became this great community building activity. I told him later, the game felt like a birthday gift (well, it was close to my birthday at the time!) even though the purchase wasn’t intended to be this big, grand gesture or gift. It was a simple, thoughtful idea that, when acted upon, expanded into something wonderful.
 
What small actions of love by your friends or family or significant other have surprised you?

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​Sara Beth Williams is a published author of Contemporary Christian romance, an ACFW and CIPA member and freelance writer. She has a background in freelance publicity, blog managing, newspaper journalism and nine years in the field of education. Two of her three novels have been nominated for a Selah Award. A Worthy Heart (2020) and Anchor My Heart (2022). She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. When she's not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.
Where to find Sara Beth Williams
Subscribe to her newsletter: newsletter subscription 2020 (sibforms.com)
Find out more at www.sarabethwilliams.com
Facebook.com/sarabethwrites
Twitter.com/sarabethwrites8
Instagram.com/sarabethwrites2018

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​In the aftermath of tragic loss, worship leader Matt Lawson is grappling debilitating anxiety. The blessings he’d taken for granted—a dream job, a woman he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with, and his God-given musical talent—have crumbled at his feet, leaving him reeling in despair, unable to face the wreckage of the life he’d envisioned for himself.
 
Tara Pierce is ready to put past hurts behind her as she prepares to graduate college and take a leap of faith in her career. When Matt’s grief causes him to isolate himself from everyone he knows, she refuses to stand idly by and do nothing. She has traversed similar terrain before. No one deserves to travel that road alone.
 
Unexpected attraction flares as Tara reaches into the sea of Matt’s grief and helps ground him in reality. But Matt’s not ready to give himself away again. Can Tara risk her heart and their friendship and let God step in to heal where she can’t?

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