Faith, Love, and the Wisdom to Remain Whole

My God gives opportunities, and He faithfully fulfills His promises. His faithfulness is not measured by how things look in a particular moment.

Never judge your faith only by your present standing, because emotions and circumstances can fluctuate. Faith is the confidence to keep believing, even while you are still hoping to see what you believe become reality.

I hope you can sometimes feel what I feel—the depth, strength, and energy that move within me.

There is something powerful about the way my heart responds to you. I have invested so much of myself emotionally, and at times it feels as though my attention, energy, and affection are completely focused on you.

I have placed you in such an important position in my life that it sometimes makes me nervous.

I am learning, however, that love should never require me to lose myself.

I do not want to keep drawing myself so deeply into another person that I forget who I am. Love can influence us, challenge us, and even help us grow, but I must still understand myself, protect my identity, and remain emotionally grounded.

At times, it feels as though you have emptied certain things out of me and helped rebuild parts of me differently. Because of that, I sometimes wonder whether I am showing too much love or giving too much of myself.

I cannot fully explain everything happening within me—the emotions, the intensity, the vulnerability, and the desire to see where this connection can go.

But I know one thing:

I want to experience love without losing wisdom.

I want to see where this journey leads, but I also need the ability to understand what I am feeling and to maintain healthy control over my emotions.

Love should be powerful, but it should also be peaceful.

Love should draw two people closer without causing either person to disappear.

So I will continue to love, believe, and remain open—but I will also remain rooted in who I am.

I will not lose myself while loving someone else.

I can love deeply and still remain whole.

— Medala Stephenson