Long Distance Love Affair

photo from tumbler.cute!

This morning, I woke up with a vibe so peculiar, I couldn’t even fathom. But when I saw today’s date in my alarm clock, I quickly sensed why. Like I imagined a light bulb light above my head. Ding! Hehe. So to get ready for work,  I put on a pink silk fuschia top and a skirt. I accessorized my outfit along with a pastel pink necklace and a pink purse. I was overly dressed in pink!! Hahaha. It is because I am happy and excited! Obvious ba? (: Why? Exactly a month from now, my husband and I are going to be together again!!! Woohoo! (: How time flies by so crazily fast. For some who may not know, unfortunately, we’ve been physically apart for almost four months now. However, it only seemed like it was yesterday (:

Looking back, three months after our wedding, he had to fly to Beijing, China for a business trip. Then, one day at work, a coworker of mine asked me, “how’s married life Joselle?” My response was “It’s great! And not so great at the moment.” I caught him puzzled by my answer. So he further asked, “Why so?” And I told him about us not being able to see each other for 5 months. Then he said “I don’t know how you do it but I just can’t imagine myself in your shoes.” Then, I said “ I know it’s hard, for now, but we’ve been in a long distance relationship (LDR) for 3 years so this is not something new to us plus I try to look at the bigger picture” I must have left him puzzled again with those last 2 words. Anyway, he stirred the conversation about him and his wife. He just got married too after weeks of dating and at the same time, right after his divorce papers were finalized with his ex-wife. Then at the back of my head, I thought, “wow, I also don’t know how you do it”. Although I wish them well and I have nothing against their whirlwind romance, I was just a bit surprised of its unconventionality.

Anyway, when I told him that I try to look at the bigger picture, it’s like I try to see ourselves with what we would become in the long run. If you put it technologically, it’s like envisioning what does not yet exist but might someday. Like the rich and famous visionary, Steve Jobs. Hehe :P  

Actually, how I envision myself with my husband is pretty simple. As cliché as it may sound, I only dream of us growing old together and still in love. Of course, I suppose everyone dreams the same. It’s just a matter of knowing how to live out that dream into reality. Since I knew my husband was God’s gift, my companion for a lifetime, (click here to find out how I knew he was the one) I believe at the end of the day, there’s a happy ending. (:

In our long distance relationship situation, we might find it hard right now, but as I said, we know there will come a time where we would be able to enjoy living permanently and happily together. That all of our sacrifices wouldn’t go in vain because our faith in this relationship is stronger and bigger than all the trials.

Where did this kind of faith come from? Ultimately, it’s from God. In Psalm 62:5, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” I needed a deeper and personal relationship with God and that helped me survived our 3 yearlong LDR. In those three years, it gave me an opportunity in serving the Lord through my family and through my CFC community. God became my number one priority and true enough, He let everything fall in to place. In Deuteronomy 7:9, it says “Understood, therefore, that the Lord is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.” One of my aunts once told me, when we put other things on top of our list other than God, and when time comes that it's taken away from us, our world will falter. But when we put God first in all things, no matter what happens, we would be fine.  

If you look at magazines, self-help books, or simply look it up on Google and search for the secrets of LDR’s, more or less, some of it highlights about keeping the importance of open communication, trusting one another, living your own life or coping up by keeping yourself busy, surrounding yourself with family, hanging out with friends that will serve a good support group, and etc. While all of these can be claimed truly important and can make a big influence in keeping the LDR strong, still my #1 secret (not a secret to all) would be putting God in the center of the relationship. Not only was our relationship cultivated, but it also equipped us for a holy marriage. We prayed together as a couple, we became active in our church/community and in respect to that, we gained wisdom and knowledge from other Christian couples too. Moreover, in my prayers, I would always ask for patience incessantly. Again, I will make use of another cliché. That is “Patience is a virtue.”  It is also one of the fruits from the Holy Spirit. Like Christ who patiently waited for and worked toward his mission here on earth, I, myself too, must patiently wait and trust that in God’s perfect time, we would be together again.  Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

PS: Hubby and I will be meeting in California on Aug 24^th for the 18^th Annual  Conference of Singles for Christ as proxy couple coordinators. I am looking forward to it! Let the countdown begin! (:

Xoxo,

Joselle