Just like planting a seed, initiating a love relationship is a simple process. Establishing and maintaining a monogamous, loving, caring, safe, honest, and supportive relationship for five, ten, twenty, forty, or even seventy years is challenging. Entering into a marriage without adequate preparation is akin to being thrilled about the prospect of running a marathon, but being unaware of the resources required to finish the race or prevent total heart failure at mile 10. The miracle of a relationship is when two individuals get to know each other so well—so fully—that they eventually become one (Mark 10:8). However, we may train for marriage and increase the likelihood that we will succeed in it. As you meet, you find yourself pulled to each other. That’s normally how things begin for all of us, unless you live in a society where marriages are arranged. Someone draws us in and we are drawn to them, and as a result, they become particularly “special” to us. We start to get hints that this person could be “the one” or “the one I choose,” and that we could want to spend the rest of our lives with them. You grow your relationship with friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances in a group setting. As others watch you together, they pick up on something about your connection, and preferably they are open and honest about what they see as well as the negative.
