​

You deserve to be loved, cherished, & valued as a priority with respect for your needs & commitments fulfilled

You deserve for someone to see you for who you are, honor who you’ve been, & uplift who you’re becoming

I’ve struggled with expressing my needs, desires, & beliefs about what it means to be loved “in return”

As I dive deeper into the word, I keep learning about what it means to love others without expectations 

God calls us to love in the way he has loved & reminds us getting even or having anger or holding resentment are not meant for us to carry out as He makes all things right

This means God also is telling us that we deserve to be loved in the same way…

When he speaks about love & stories are told about relationships it is very clear that women are highly valued no matter our past as Jesus demonstrated his love for women that others detested & he restored them

We are taught:

We can be loved at our darkest (Roman’s 5:8)

We are loved not for our fancy worldly things but for our beautiful spirit which never fades (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Sometimes though, loving others in this way makes it difficult when we are not receiving it back or have been deceived or betrayed

It begs the question of what more can I do to receive love too?

But God also calls us to guard our heart because this is where everything we do flows from (proverbs 4:23)

I learned that without expression or boundaries or communication there can be resentment or feelings of emptiness & that can lead to negative behaviors

I believe the best earthly love is love reciprocated

The kind where both parties naturally give & receive love like a figure 8 that keeps going and going ♾️

We can’t rely on others to give us the love we give the same way because we are all different & even under different circumstances

But you can protect your heart & recognize that you are worthy of what you desire & it’s okay to stand up for your needs, leave unhealthy relationships or situationships, change dynamics of friendships or familyships, & walk away

Leaving beloved relationships was among the hardest & most freeing things I’ve done as it is allowing me to see what it means to have a biblical love🙏🏻❤️