So This is Love?

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3

 

His eyes meet hers as the expression on his face says he’s never seen anything more beautiful than her. She is then swept across the ballroom floor like a light feather and then ushered for a stroll over a moonlit bridge as soft smiles and glances are exchanged and butterflies are felt.  He reaches for her soft, dainty-gloved hand as he whispers in her ear how he feels he’s known her for all his life and then says a gentle “I love you”.  He then tells her how he has a kingdom waiting for her and she just needs to say yes and then…fast forward to about 10 years later on Valentine’s Day when he has flowers delivered to her and her reaction is “(Smug look) Oh, that’s nice, where do I sign?”  This, ladies and gentlemen, was the majority of responses when delivering big, expensive, beautiful bouquets, soft teddy bears, and chocolates on my Valentine’s Day route.

I drove up to the florist last Thursday morning and watched as men of all ages, sizes, shapes, and colors, some in business suits, some in sweats, some in construction uniforms but all there for the same purpose - to get special surprises for the loves of their lives.  I stood there and thought “Wow, it’s 8:15 a.m. and these men actually physically went out of their way to stop and spend lots of money using thought and care to display an act of love.”  Love was in the air and I sighed as I loaded bouquets and gifts into my car anticipating the reaction I would see from the recipients. 

First stop: a local restaurant.

Recipient: an employee. 

Me: “Are you ______?” 

Recipient: “Yes, that’s me” (no smile)

Me: (Smiling) “This delivery is for you – Happy Valentine’s Day! (still smiling)

Recipient: “Just set them here. (still not smiling while co-workers in the kitchen are clapping and whistling) “Where do I sign?” (aaaaaaand, still not smiling). 

I walked away thinking “Gosh, what a spoiled woman! What – did he not pick out the flowers you have told him on multiple occasions that you liked?  Are you upset because you would rather of had the money instead of the flowers? Or, is this just a routine thing that happens every year and you just expect it?  I was a little bothered with the lack of excitement but thought surely the next reactions would not be like this…but I was disappointed again and again and again. 

As I was driving around and pondering the lame reactions I began thinking about the love of God and how it never grows cold towards us.  He knows us outwardly;  He wove us together, He knows the very number of hairs on our head, He knows each dimple, freckle, and birthmark, He bottles each tear that falls, and He even has a book of remembrance for each time we talk of Him.  He knows us inwardly; the thoughts we think, the words we are going to say before we say them, our fears, our desires, our hurts, and the things that make us happy or sad.  On top of all of that, in spite of us and falling short every day, He is constantly in love with us.  He tells us “Yes, I have loved you with an EVERLASTING love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3) and nothing can ever separate you from My love (Romans 8:38-39).  As I thought about this, I turned the table and began thinking about me. Has my love for Him grown dull or cold or routine towards Him? When I go to spend time with Him – do I anticipate that time? When I wake up in the morning and He greets me faithfully spinning the earth on its axis with the sun on the horizon and flowers outside my bedroom window – am I desensitized and look at it as a normality or do I stop and ponder how wonderful He is and how He loves me so?  Every single day – God puts thought into our lives and gives us gifts as He walks with us throughout the day - we could see them only if we would just stop and actually receive them.  Imagine hearing a story of a man who steps in front of his bride and takes a bullet straight to the heart and dies so that his bride could live.  It would be noticed, it would be talked about on the news, and the bride, she would grasp the knowledge that her groom loved her and it would have a lasting impact on her life.  Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for us.  He left the perfection of heaven for us and stepped into this gross, imperfect world out of His love.  He gave us beautiful love letters in His Word for us to treasure and learn of Him, pouring meaning and life into our lives.  Ponder this. Grasp this.

Don’t let your love grow cold with the Lord or with those in your life. Don’t let life become routine. And ladies, do me a favor, if your man sends you flowers be excited and thankful that he thought about you.  You don’t have to scream and faint in excitement , just smile, like this à J

Weep With Those Who Weep

“…weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15b

Yesterday I got a whole different outlook on what it means to weep with those who weep.  It began the day before as I came home to a sinking foundation around my pool and water gushing out of the heating system (cold weather repercussions I guess).  Anyways, it’s added pressure that I didn’t want to deal with especially with the fact that my home warranty had expired last August and I didn’t have coverage. Fortunately, I was able to renew it and begin the claim yesterday.  I woke up this yesterday though feeling overwhelmed at the added expense of it and the continued unknown of what God is presently doing in my life. The pressures of this life, my life, building up inside broke out in a meltdown of tears while getting ready for work, which by the way made it very difficult to get mascara on.  The day progressed with more pain when I dropped a 20 pound box on my face at work as I was lifting it to a higher shelf.  Despite the pain and thinking I had broken cheek bones and a broken nose, I couldn’t help but get a smile out of it when I saw my lipstick smeared on the box and dirt marks on my face. However, I survived the work day and headed home desperately needing a hug, having a deep desire to crawl into bed with a 3 pound bag of peanut M&M’s, fall asleep, and not think. But, I couldn’t do that – I had big girl duties to do!  First things first, I had to call and make the claim on the pool.  So, I picked up the phone and dialed to talk to an automated, fake person who I had to repeat my “yes” answer 3 times and my issue at hand four times until I wised up and pushed “0” to talk to a real person.  The lady quickly and efficiently took all my information down and in the middle of the conversation said “I hope I’m not being too personal with you, but are you okay?”  Apparently, she could hear the quiver in my voice and my sniffles. I proceeded to tell her what a great way this was to start a new year out – just kidding – but, I did tell her how I’ve been going through some things and this was just another thing to add to the pile.  Our conversation continued and then something happened…she started to cry with me.  She didn’t offer me words of wisdom, an “I’ll pray for you” statement, or Romans 8:28…she just started to cry with me…in fact, she trembled so much in her voice that she was having trouble repeating the confirmation information back to me.  I instantly felt the heart of Jesus through this woman and saw Him weeping with me. I was so shocked at the kindness this stranger gave me that by the time I hung up, I knew I had been hugged by the Lord through her. 

When you cry with someone it shows that your heart has been touched so much that it has disrupted and impacted your world with sympathy for that person.  I think so many times we try to find words to heal a heart or fix a situation when words are sometimes not needed.  After the call, the Lord reminded me how ever-present He is in my life as He chose to use a stranger to reveal His heart toward me…His heart of compassion, understanding, and concern for the things that concern me.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart” Ps. 34:18

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Ps. 147:3

Yesterday a home warranty woman cried with me – not a family member or a friend but a home warranty woman, a stranger.  When was the last time you cried with someone who was crying?  Does seeing someone else hurt move your heart towards compassion? Does your heart break for the things that break the Lord’s heart?