If there’s one thing I know, it’s romance movies.

From the undeniable humor of The Proposal to the iconic drama of Pride and Prejudice, I’ve seen just about all of them. I love love. I always have. I grew up dreaming of Disney-level romance and adventure.

But that’s the thing about movies… they’re entertaining because they’re fantastical. They’re not real life.

And while I’ve always known that, I think the reason I still dream big and admire those stories is because one of the best love stories I’ve ever witnessed didn’t come from a screen. It played out right in front of me.

My parents.

They even have a rom-com-worthy origin story of their own. My dad randomly hopped into my mom’s car on a rainy night, and the rest is history. We’ll save the details for another time.

I’m by no means a licensed marriage counselor, and neither are they. But since my parents recently celebrated 25 years of marriage, I asked them a simple question: What have you learned?

Whether you’re single, dating, newly married, or feeling worn down by years of commitment, one thing remains true- God’s love for you never changes. And marriage, at its best, is meant to reflect that love.

Here are three things my parents have learned after 25 years of choosing each other.

1. Pray for Your Spouse Consistently and Specifically

When I asked my parents what has sustained their marriage, this was one of the first things both of them mentioned.

Prayer holds power.

They told me that when they’ve carried all they can carry, prayer takes over where their strength runs out. I’ve seen this firsthand—my dad texting my sister and me to pray for my mom, or my mom immediately praying out loud the moment difficult news comes in.

Prayer hasn’t just been something they do together—it’s something they do for one another.

They also shared two books that have helped them over the years:

“Our love is like the wind. I can’t see it, but I can feel it.” | A Walk to Remember

2. Don’t Just Tell Them You Love Them, Show Them.

This one definitely came from my dad.

Acts of service are his love language and honestly, if food were a love language, that would be his too. My parents have always gone out of their way to show my sister and me that we are loved, and just as intentionally, they’ve shown each other.

They even insisted I include this advice: “Kiss each other every day.”

I’ll admit I cringed writing that. But as uncomfortable as it might be to witness, I never once doubted that they loved each other. Even after disagreements. Even on hard days.

“Always kiss me like it’s the first time and the last time.” | Leap Year

3. Put Them Before Your Wants

This one was harder for me to wrap my head around.

But isn’t that the heart of following Jesus? Choosing humility. Serving one another. Laying down your preferences for the good of someone else.

How can we love the world well if we struggle to love the people closest to us?

“You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.” | It’s a Wonderful Life

I’m incredibly grateful that God gave me parents who love each other and put Him first.

No marriage is perfect… because no person is perfect. But it’s only by God’s strength that my parents have carried each other through health challenges, loss, anger, hurt, and everything in between.

And that’s how I know they’ll continue. Holding onto God’s promises, and being held by Him.

That kind of love is better than any movie.

Thank you Jesus that the greatest love story of all is the one we’re all invited into, and it’s with Him.

Why GOD’s Love Satisfies More Than What the World Offers