The day I married my husband, I was not anxious about the future. I knew that God had confirmed His perfect will for us and, therefore, Leon and I both were confident that our marriage was going to be a forever deal. No looking back, no hesitation. 

From the very beginning, God was a part of our relationship, and His involvement made it that much easier for us to commit to one another and not be afraid. We were meshing together two countries, two cultures, and two languages. Leon was from the United States and had been living in Ecuador for only four months, while I had grown up there. We were both still working on our language skills. 

I was marrying more than just a man that day—I was marrying the promise of a new country. 

The Citizenship I Cherish Most

I love my homeland, and now that I live in the United States, I want to represent Ecuador well. Similarly, when I go to Ecuador or another country, I usually let people know I am an American and an Ecuadorian citizen, and I try to represent both countries the best I can. 

However, the country I cherish the most is the one I attained thirty-three years ago on September 1, the day I accepted Jesus into my heart and my life changed forever. That Sunday evening, the love of God transformed me into His beloved daughter, His treasure and joy. He filled my heart with the amazing light of His affection for me, which has never stopped shining. 

My love for my Savior grew from knowing a little bit about Him to experiencing the presence of a mighty God who cares about every single detail of my life. As I realized how much He really loves me, I just wanted to love Him back and thank Him for the rest of my life for forgiving me, for dying on the cross for me, and for resurrecting victoriously so I can live with Him in eternity.

On September 1, 1985, I became a citizen of Heaven as God welcomed me into His family. As believers in Jesus, this is the citizenship we cherish the most. This is the citizenship we represent each day as we go about our lives.

Always remember that you are a citizen of Heaven. As a child of God, you are loved with unfailing, perfect love that comes with no conditions. 

What If You Don’t Feel Loved?

If you don’t feel loved or are going through a hard time, remember that you have an amazing heavenly Father, a loving Savior, and a wonderful Counselor in the Holy Spirit. Every part of God’s heart will go to drastic lengths to let you know how loved you are. 

In my pursuit of a more intimate relationship with God, I have learned to be intentional. To get to know someone well, I have to spend time with them and find out more about them. The more I care about them, the more I want to know and the more I want them to know I am interested in their heart and desires. 

All healthy relationships start, grow, and continue in a similar way, including our relationship with God. The more we get to know Him, the deeper and more intimate our relationship with Him will be. 

Many people don’t have a good view of God. They believe He is angry, absent, punishing, boring, legalistic, etc. But our negative beliefs will change as we get to know Him for who He is—He really is good. 

For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more.

You can also order the book in Spanish. Click here.