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| A shadow heart in the rocky dirt of Chongwe |
Today is February 14th. A day of love. I have been thinking about what this day means as I sat with a dear sister in Christ earlier who is not married or in a relationship but love still abounds in her life. I set off on a walk after she left and thought about love. About earthly love, puppy love, romantic love and then I thought about who is the true love of my life. I put on my music and thanked Jesus for being the lover of my soul.
Now, I do love my husband and our marriage. All that God has brought us through and to. I love that I get to experience marriage in this world and all it entails and represents. What I love most about my husband though, is that he loves me less. Less than Jesus. Now, don’t get all bent out of shape and send emails stating that I am a humbug about Valentine’s Day. I am all for it, but there is a everlasting love that goes beyond this world. Ben and I won’t be married in heaven (at least according to most biblical scholars on those verses). We will be to each other, brothers and sisters in Christ. What freedom that should bring to us here. It is all about Jesus. It takes the pressure off of the expectations we have about love in this life. It frees us to fully enjoy earthly love without depending on it outside of Christ. What Christ did for me on the cross by shedding His blood to be the atoning sacrifice for my sin that had to be paid so I could be made right before a holy God is the most overwhelming act of love I could ever experience. Jesus wants to love the socks off of you in ways earthly love can not touch, even marital love. It is so profound and so deep. It is the most intimate relationship you can have. And while I love being in the arms of my husband, being in the arms of Jesus is that much sweeter. It is in this truth that Ben and I will stand side by side with our hands outstretched to the One who loves us more than either of us can love each other and turn our gaze to something greater than both of us which is the kingdom work that is laid at our feet. And it is with those same feet that we follow the lead of our Lord and Savior in a dance that will continue on into eternity. And as I walked on in my thoughts on this sunny day, this song came on…We Dance.
