When Hubert stepped inside the church, all except the back row of pews had been filled. Finding a seat behind some young ladies, he noticed her. Actually, June saw him first. When she turned around to see who had come in, their eyes connected. She smiled. He smiled back. With music playing in the background, they instantly fell in love. Hubert pulled a ring out of his pocket, knelt down in front of her and proposed on the spot. She accepted his proposal. The preacher stopped the service and held the wedding right then and there. The couple rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after.
Wake up! – You were dreaming. That isn’t quite the way Hubert and June’s story went. After June’s smile broke the ice, they became friends. Then they fell in love and got married.
Here are some other facts about this couple: Hubert and June Malicote stayed married for 79 years. They died in 2022, both at age 100, within 20 hours of one another. What was the spark that kept this fire burning for so long? It all started with June’s smile in church.
Is Everlasting Love a Myth?
Love at first sight only happens in the movies. If you took a closer look at Hubert and June’s marriage, you’d find something deeper which kept them attached to one another. They didn’t have a regular “date night.” Instead of over-the-top romantic gestures, they showed their affection through dozens of small-but-consistent acts of goodwill: Sitting at a table and sharing stories from the day. (Quality time.) Sharing dinner and a movie each night. Holding hands. (Physical touch.) Saying goodnight before going to bed. (Words of affirmation.) Greeting one another with smiles in the morning. They simply enjoyed being together.
A few months before his death, Hubert acknowledged, “We didn’t go through life without problems, but we would never do anything to hurt each other. . . . It’s kind of like if we aren’t together, the team is broken.”
A Relationship Blueprint
The Malicotes’ marriage reminds us lasting love still exists and shows us some of the actions which make it possible. It also provides a helpful blueprint for our own relationships, whether we are married, dating or single: Lasting love is not often demonstrated in large acts of goodwill toward the other person, but in a thousand small acts applied consistently over time.
No one illustrated this better than God Himself. Christians consider the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross God’s greatest demonstration of love in human history. Yet this was neither the first nor the only time God put His love on display. He reminded Israeli exiles in Assyria of His everlasting love, even after they had rejected Him (Jeremiah 31:3). Their selfish choices had led to the overthrow of their government and their captivity, and still He loved them.
How did God love them? Looking back over Israel’s history, they could point to His miraculous and dramatic parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–29). But there were thousands of smaller moments which reinforced His affection. Like feeding two million people in the desert wafers every day for 40 years (Exodus 16:35). Or keeping their clothes and shoes from wearing out (Deuteronomy 8:4). These moments wouldn’t make news headlines. But they still mattered.
Are You Looking for Love?
If the people looked long enough, they could see evidence of God’s love all around them. You and I can, too. In a million and one ways, He reminds us of His tender heart toward us: A working furnace in the winter. Working air conditioning in the summer. Closets full of clothes. Electricity. Clean running water. Food in the kitchen. A roof over our heads. Having the means to buy groceries. Reliable transportation. Answered prayer. Caring friends and family. Protection through the night. I could go on forever.
Just as God has loved us — in clear, simple and consistent ways — He encourages and empowers us to love others (John 13:34).
Love in Practice, Takes Practice
Here are some practical ways to do this: If you are married, find small ways to make your spouse’s day brighter. If you’re in a relationship, be intentional about learning your significant other’s love language. If you’re single, reinforce your friendships with empathy and respect. Then go a step further and extend this love to others outside your regular circle of influence.
As you demonstrate this love cheerfully, intentionally and consistently, you will gain new relationships and improve the quality of your current relationships. Best of all, you’ll make lasting love commonplace, a picture of the greatest love and Lover of all.
“The Love of God”
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.-Frederick Martin Lehman
Article by Cameron Edwards
Enjoy more Bibleway articles on biblical love here.
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