Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

~ 1 John 4:7

Love Comes in Seasons

Love really does come in seasons. Sometimes it sneaks in quietly, and other times it feels like it hits all at once. But this year, during Advent, I’ve noticed it more deeply, in who I’m becoming. I can look back and see how love has stayed with me through growth, change, doubt, and discovery — steady even when I wasn’t. It hasn’t been flashy or dramatic. It’s just been there, constant, like a candle that keeps burning even when you’re not paying attention to it.

This year especially has shown me that love isn’t about getting everything right, but simply about showing up. I see it in the people who stick around, the friends who check in, the moments where I feel truly seen. And I also see it in the way I’m learning to be a little kinder to myself. God keeps loving me into becoming. Advent reminds me that love doesn’t wait until I feel “ready.” It just shows up. And somehow, it keeps showing up.

Growing up, Advent was always part of my life. Back then, it felt simple: light the candle, sing the songs, wait for Christmas. Now it feels heavier, but in the best way. The waiting feels real. The hope feels earned. And love feels deeper, because now I know what it’s like to truly need it.

So when I light the Advent candle of Love this week, I’m reminded that this season isn’t just about a love that entered the world long ago, but about the love that keeps showing up now: in relationships that are in change, in the quiet ways God is still at work in me. It’s a love I’m still learning how to receive.