It's Valentine's Day, ya'll!
So, I thought I would get a little personal with this post. Time to get some deep conversation going, ya'll. Do share your grain of sense.
Today, I was thinking about Valentine's Day and listening to co-workers talk about their plans. And, I started thinking about how I would not be getting any flowers from anyone special (for the upteempth year in a row) and having a bit of a pity party for myself.
So, that led me to this past summer. I heard Dee Brestin speak about living passionately for Jesus Christ. She spoke about the Shulammite in the Song of Solomon and how her story is a metaphor for our relationship with Jesus. In the beginning, you're in what she called the first love stage. You're on cloud nine. You want to spend all of your time with Him and you want to hear His voice. Then, you move into the wilderness love stage. You realize life is hard. You realize that there are things in your life that aren't the way you want them and that God can fix those things. But He doesn't and you may doubt His love for you. Like the Shulammite in chapter two, we hide in the cliffs and don't want to step out on faith and follow God. Then, in chapter four, the Shulammite agrees to go. God is the same way with us. He will continue to ask us to follow Him. And, when we learn to trust Him no matter what. When we learn to press into Jesus when things are tough and life doesn't make sense, that's when we will draw closer to Him and that's when we will enter into the invincible love stage.
I was thinking about the Shulammite and my relationship with Jesus and how I'm still in the wilderness stage/tinkering into the invincible love stage. I wonder why things in my life are the way they are. I wonder how much longer I'm going to have to say "no, not right now" when asked if there's anyone special in my life. I wonder why certain things didn't turn out certain ways. And, I've come to realize that it is time for me to press harder into Jesus when I have these uncertainties about what's going on and to know that His will is sovereign. It's time to hold on to His promise in Jeremiah - "For I know the plans that I have for you..." It's time to walk by faith and move into that invincible love stage.
So, it's my prayer this Valentine's Day that my relationship with Him continues to grow and that we hit the invincible love stage. I praise Him that I can be assured that unlike the relationships we may have on Earth, His love will never falter. There will be ups and there will be downs. There will be good times and there will be bad. There will be laughter and there will be tears. But, in the end, it's all for His glory and in the end, He will always send flowers.
1 comment:
I think everyone who is single has these thoughts. It's probably worse for ladies who actually care about this holiday but we all expect to find what our parents found in each other. I heard a good perspective from a lady from Boundless.org, a division of focus on the family, on how she dealt with prolonged singleness on V-day. Check out the link below.
http://focusonthefamily.edgeboss.net/download/focusonthefamily/podcast/boundless/boundless003.mp3
I like the example you gave in SoS. At first, everything is new and you could not see anything that would separate you from God. Then when stress comes in the form of job, house, money, or the opposite sex you do wonder why God lets you go through it all. Also, why do others who are not seeking God enjoying the things you desperately desire?
Well, I kept reading and I realize that God causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust and his will is perfect. I have to trust in His timing and realize that all suffer, not just me. In the words of Bebo Norman, we're a shapeless piece of metal being forged in a fire by God(The Hammer Holds). I wouldn't say I'm out of the wilderness in my feelings but I am in my decision. Even if things don't go right, I will still thank God for all I have and try to serve others. Mostly, I will continue to seek God.
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