Find Hope

Hello friends! In this blog entry, I would like to share a song with you. But first, the story behind it:

Almost two years ago now (during the making of our second cd Somewhere), a good friend asked me to pray for a young lady who was in need. I was also asked to add her on Facebook, as well as to befriend her. Well, I did my best, but honestly, her situation looked like a lost cause. I wanted to help, and I continually prayed for her, but it was evident that the devil had a strong grip and that he wasn’t going to let go of her without a HUGE fight. Apparently she had had a relationship with the Lord at a younger age, but as time went on, the clutches of the enemy had grasped her and she was drowning. Miserably. You know that scripture about sinking in the deep mire? (Psalm 69) All I knew was that that was her. I didn’t know who knew her, who she knew, or even where she had come from, but you know what? All it takes is for one person to stand in the gap. Every day, when you think of someone who is at war (which includes just about every one of us), by simply lifting them up in prayer, you are interceding for them. YOU ARE SLASHING THE ENEMY and he cannot resist such a force as prayer. Prayer changes things, and the devil knows it. I didn’t feel like anything I prayed concerning this girl would amount to much. I didn’t feel it, but feelings obviously didn’t matter in this case, because something was happening in her, something supernatural, and I wasn’t the only one praying.

When I first learned of her, I was busy making that cd with my sisters. I distinctly remember laying out a guitar track when I received the text about her. My heart moved for her situation, and I felt such a compassion that only God can place upon His children for one another. I didn’t even know her, but I knew that I loved her and that I wanted her to have what I have: peace.

I stopped recording and sat there thinking about things, my guitar still in my lap. As my mind drifted, I began fingering a new chord progression. The song I had been recording suddenly became very boring to me, and I was ready for a new one! As I played around with some chords, a melody came and I suddenly realized that I had a new song. Well, almost. I had to force myself to continue finishing the ones we were already working on before starting something new. Upon quickly recording an audio of my new chord progression and melody with my phone so I wouldn’t forget it, I then continued with the songs on our current project. This new song would have to be put on hold for the time being, and it did. It waited almost 2 years.

Once that second cd was officially complete, the time came, once again, to produce new songs! My sisters and I were all very excited about this. Recording your songs onto a cd is like putting the official “complete” stamp on them, and so now that we had done that, we no longer had to stop new songs from coming in. It’s so easy to get bored of old songs and to want all new ones—perhaps you understand how that goes—but we try to force ourselves to stick with them until they’re “done,” and until we’re satisfied with how they sound. You should have seen it; new songs were suddenly flooding in from all over the place. Rebecca had not written many songs before this time, and now, even she had as many songs as me and Hannah.

Waiting patiently to finally have words, my song was still in its infant stage—through this extended course of time—and I was now deep in thought as contemplated what it was even going to be about! Hannah has always had this way with words, and when she had first heard my song, she instantly plugged in her own little phrase. I didn’t intend on her words to remain there, but after all this time, I couldn’t change it! It was stuck in my head, so this infant song was always referred to as “The better part of me,” and it was all Hannah’s fault! Since I knew it was already too late to change it, I commenced figuring out how in the world a song can be made out of that one phrase. It was a little exasperating, I must confess, but then an idea struck me.

This girl had been going though such a wonderful transformation! It was glorious to watch. Now, keep in mind that I only knew her from Facebook. What I saw from there was all I knew about her life, and boy did she make a huge turn around. I had kept an eye on her page throughout this time (many times sorrowfully as I watched her go through her struggles), but it seemed like almost in an instant, she was turning her life around! God was turning her life around. I suppose it was time for her to come back. I was so happy. I could see that many other people were very happy about this as well, and it was then that I realized I wasn’t the only one praying for her. Day by day, one thing at a time, she consecrated everything in her life to the Lord, and I saw it all through her Facebook statuses. Okay, so I admit… some good things can come from Facebook! I didn’t always think that, but I’m a witness now.

One day, this re-dedicated Christian young lady posted her testimony. Once again, it touched my heart, and I really felt for her. The Lord is still mighty to save! It was so amazing to read what the Lord had brought her through, and at that very moment upon reading it, I knew what my song was about.

I needed to talk with her on a more personal level. I wanted to let her know what was on my heart, and that I had been waiting and praying for this moment for a long time. Upon asking for her number, I requested permission to write this song about her. She was ecstatic about the idea, and away I went! I was in a hurry though, and required the consultation of Hannah through out the wording of the song. We were running out of time.

“Harmony in the Desert” is an enormous singing event that happens once a year in the first or second week of January, and we were making plans to sing there. I wanted us to sing this new song, particularly because the person who inspired it would be present. It would be my first time to meet her in person, and the very first time we would ever sing this song publicly. Harmony in the Desert was only a couple weeks away, so we only had a limited time to complete the song and arrange for the band. Hannah and I cleaned up the words, and we took it to Harmony.

My new friend is doing well, and we love each other to pieces! I have asked for her permission to post this blog, and she doesn’t mind a bit. God has done so much for her in her life, and she would tell the whole world about it if she had such an opportunity. Perhaps one day you can hear her testimony for yourself.

Well, this got kind of long! My main object here was to share the words to this song, but there was so much more to it that I just had to keep going 🙂 I pray that you are blessed by the above, as well as the following words to Hope’s song:

Find Hope

(verse 1)
Life’s sinking sand has swallowed me
And I don’t think I can see
I’m drowning in my world of sin
Feet, shoulders, eyes, it’s covered me
Could a limb but set me free?
Losing again, fighting the skin

Changing the life I broke, I will find hope

(Chorus)
Your Love inside will be the better part of me
Let all the rest just waste away
All that they see is true, but make me more like You
So that what was, can be for good

(verse 2)
Life’s full of hurt, but I choose Him
And I won’t turn back again
I waited so long watching for dawn
I’d gone too far to just dive in
But He taught me how to swim
Darkness so deep won’t stunt His reach

Changing the life I broke, I will find hope

(Chorus)

Changing the life I broke, helped me to finally find hope

(Bridge)
I ran so long
Never believing You would take me back
And now I know
That You were waiting just exactly where I left You
And there’s nothing could have kept You from me

(Chorus)

 

To hear me and my sisters sing this song, go here. God bless you!

Love Notes

It was late that evening when I finally got things done in order to dedicate some time to searching for my missing horses. They lived in a field that, for the most part, was fenced, but that primarily secured them by a natural land lock situation: a canyon that surrounded their entire pasture, hidden away by thick woods. My horses never could complain for want of food, since their field provided them plenteously through out the summer, but by the time Autumn would come around, and the once green grasses of gaiety shriveled away to mere nothingness, I could see their eyes turn to longing saucers of delight in a different direction than that of the hay alone that I could provide for them. There was grass somewhere else… and it was much better than this stale hay.

All day, and for the many days that passed after their departure, the thought of them being gone had been on the back of my mind, continuously torturing me with frightful scenarios of possible happenstance. I knew where they were, and assured myself frequently that they always found their way down to old Mr. Perry’s field to get fat on his delicious grass. Since his pastures were bottom land, the grass seemed to stay green year round, with that forever abundantly growing fescue that never seemed to die. Our own fields hosted pure bermuda grass, which unfortunately was no fun to eat off of for the horsies during the long winter months. When the grass would die, I knew that their mischievous minds were wandering to a field just on the other side, and that really wasn’t a dangerous problem, being that every time they would turn up missing, I knew exactly where to find them, safely tucked away in horsey heaven pastures, but for one little reminder that ridiculously haunted me. It concerned a horse that I was keeping for a lady once upon a time that didn’t seem to get along with my own horses at the time. He had some problems with his head, had been in a terrible car accident, and so was not completely there. My horses simply would have nothing to do with the poor thing, and he wandered off by himself, somehow escaped through a fence that was down, and I never saw him again, search though I might. I must have searched for him for weeks, but that was nothing compared to that of having to tell his owner that he had disappeared. Poof. Just vanished without a trace. (and no, there were no vultures; I checked the skies every day) Okay, that said, we move on…

My horses were finicky and way too smart for their own good. Precious, the lead mare, frequently led the others in escape escapades where she would get them into a mess of trouble more times than not in her quest for either entertainment, or better grass. When I had looked out into their field to see nothing but…field… my instant thought was, “they’ve gone down to Perry’s” and I then commenced assuring myself that they’d be okay for the time being, unless he called me to complain about them chasing his cows and eating all the food, to which occurrence would still be okay, just that I’d have a limited time to move them back home where they belong. At least I would have been sure of their whereabouts, but even if he didn’t call, I reminded myself that they were safe and happy down in his field nonetheless, and I could just relax, fix their fence, and be determined to never let them escape again. The only problem with this assumption, was simply that. It was an assumption. I couldn’t be sure that that was where they were, and yet… I somehow managed to place them at the bottom of my list every day that went by.

Finally, I made myself save some time in the evening to drive down to that lonely field, but by the time I had left, the sun had already gone down. Darkness.

“Well,” I told myself sarcastically, “this is nice.” But regardless of the situation, I convinced myself that with the help of that bucket of feed and my summoning whistle, I could coax them over to me in the darkness where I could once again see them, run my fingers through their thick, winter fur, and be assured, once and for all, that they were all right. This would definitely ease my conscience and even help me to simply live peaceably day by day, so drive through the darkness to big, scary field of zero human inhabitants, I went.

The rush of the day and stressful tension that I had put myself through continuously left a heavy burden on my heart, but strangely enough, just a little drive like that, myself alone in pure silence and solitude, left me with such a peace of being that I cannot fully express to words. My mind had drifted to God, and as His peace poured into me like water, feeding my thirsty soul with His love, the floodgates opened wide to a river of longing tears, and I had a beautiful fellowship with Him.

There are a few places that I particularly go to spend some alone time with Him, a very common one being that of driving in a car by myself somewhere. Right when that door shuts after me, I feel His presence close in, and right there begins a continuation of our daily conversation. I love that time with Him; it is more precious to me than anything else that comes to mind.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our everyday, busy lives that we completely, and even obliviously, leave Him out of them. It is so easily done. This next part, I am going to delineate to you in an obvious and exaggerated manner in order to express perhaps a mutual thought process or circumstance between us both. It happens to the best of us, and I’m not ashamed to share with you the things that are truth if I think perhaps it would aid you in some way by familiarity of situation.

This day, the whole week, for that matter, had been so hectic, that I felt like at any moment I’d just explode. It was a terribly lonely feeling, and I longed to be back in that special place with God. I felt like I had missed Him so much through out the day, and just longed for a healing fellowship with Him right there in the car. I sobbed it out. I apologized for being so busy and reluctant to hear His tender voice, and just wanted to have Him back, never again taking my eyes from His.

As the tears blinded my eyes, I drove on ahead, thinking as I went. I talked aloud to myself and to God, and listened intently for His answers. I got something that I hadn’t expected.

Suddenly, my mind flashed back to past events, and I became very aware of just how little of time that I had actually devoted to my Lord that day. I instantly felt angry and ashamed of myself. “How could you do that? After all He has done for you, and you forget about Him, and turn away?” It was at this moment of my beating up of self that the Devil got his cue to move in.

I reached a steep hill and commenced ascending it, all the while the Devil pointed his crooked finger at me, continuing my own abusing of myself. “After everything! You’re not blind; you can see all the things He’s done for you, the things He’s giving you… and look what you do with them? Throw them away. You try to do everything your own way, after claiming that you need Him. Look at you!”

I was nearing the top of the hill, deep in thought. Something was nagging me, and I wanted it settled.

That finger still pointing, he continued with the most horrible words of all… “How could He still love you?”

My heart nearly stopped at this statement, and the tears that were once streaming across my face seemed to now stand still and freeze to my skin. How could He still love me? What kind of question was that?!

The thought was quick, almost like a flash of lightning, testing out a little stab in me where it might cause the most damage. Let me tell you, the second that I pondered that one was two seconds too long. Never EVER let this thought stay long in your mind, but usher it right out and shove it into the face of its maker.

“No way, Devil,” I said aloud. “There is no way you are going to take this one away from me. God,” I said, redirecting my focus, “I know You love me, I don’t care what that Devil tries to flash in my face; You have shown me in so many ways just how special I am to You, and even if that wasn’t so, it could never take my love for You away. I love You, regardless of whether or not that love is returned.”

Through out this occurrence of showing the Devil I wasn’t going to listen to his lies, I gained the top of that hill and sat silent again. I smiled. That battle was won, and boy did I feel a washing then. How wonderful it is to think that God could love someone as I. Here I was professing God’s abundant love toward me… spitting it right into the Devil’s face, and I suddenly felt very small back in the presence of God. I sat back into my seat with only the headlighted view ahead of me in sight.

“I know you love me, Lord…” I lingered on these words a moment before continuing. A part of me, so full of adoration for my Saviour, wanted to know, “How much do You love me, though?”

Oh yes… and what a tremendous amount, to hear Him say, “this much,” and to point you back to the cross… Jesus’ nail scarred hands, and all for me. What a shameful question to ask, with just a quick glance back at the lashes on His back for me, and the pain of the cross. I felt ashamed to say it. “Yes,” I felt to say. “You are so good to me, and gave so much for my sake, how could I ever ask for more?” and yet…

If my reader is familiar with such a relationship with God where He sends you little secret messages, then you will understand where I am going with this. There is a part of me that loves to get secret messages from Him, as if I was being handed love notes that only I can see. It is personal, and perhaps something that I, alone, would catch. I remember as a child, I was watching a bonfire that my family and I had started in order to burn off a pile of dead tree branches and trash. As I passed by it, I became immediately aware of the direction of the wind, with some help of the blinding smoke that rudely sent me coughing. I thought to myself at that time, “how terrible, I wish the wind would change direction so that I could remain on this side of the fire.” I needed to be on that side to rake in some more objects into the fire, but it was nearly impossible to breathe. I had been by myself outside, with a mind wandering on the things of God; it was one of those moments where you are so in tune with the Spirit, that you are just filled to the brim with inspiration. No sooner than I had thought of this wish, the wind picked up, and changed all the way around so the smoke blew the opposite direction, and I knew within myself that God had done it for me. That was my little love note. I caught it… something so simple and yet timely. God sends us little messages like these to encourage and remind us of just how special we are to Him. It isn’t for the world to see; it doesn’t even matter if know one else ever sees it the way you do, or even hears it at all. It is for you, and if you’re spiritually minded, you’ll not miss it.

I pulled up to the lonely gate of that lonely, seemingly abandoned pasture. My bucket was in the back, so I retrieved it and commenced shaking the horse feed within to cause a racket, whistling between shaking spurts. “Gideon!” I called as loud as I could. Usually he was the first to be attracted to food, and it seemed to help to call his name over the others’. “Gideon! Come get some yummies!!”

There was no response. I shivered. The cold air was having an effect on me by now, and I turned to look around… observing the absolute solitude of the night. There was nothing stirring. I remained silent a moment longer to see if I could detect even a slight rumble of hooves crashing to earth in a rush to respond to my call, but to no avail. Where ever they were, it was evident that they were not going to come to me. It was already too late, and they were perhaps way back in the furthest point of this field, out of hearing distance. I quickly assembled myself… coat, feed bucket, and boots, back to the truck, deciding that I would try again when it was light. I wasn’t going to get anywhere by killing myself in an attempt through the dark in that scary field. I could come out again, and would just have to trust that they would be all right until then.

Yes, I was disappointed. I was disappointed because all along, I had imagined this wonderful reunion where I could see my horses and feel their fur… I wanted to hear their whinnies through the night air in their exuberance at my presence. Now, after all that, I had to leave the place with out so much as the satisfaction of knowing if they were actually there… but there was something about that peace I had received on the way over. Somehow, everything was okay. Somehow, I stopped worrying about the situation and gave it to Him.

“God, I love You and I trust You. You know where my horses are, and You can protect them. I love them so much and would really like to see them again, but I trust You in that You know what You are doing and can take care of this.”

It was a simple surrendering, but sometimes the most simple of things can be overlooked and mistreated. It was a very important surrendering for me, especially with all that had weighed on me through out the day, and I took a deep breath of a sigh, turned the car around, and headed homeward.

God doesn’t miss things. This story is not meant to glorify me or prove one, single thing about anything to you, except that God is real and He sees and deals with you personally… but don’t take my word for it. Don’t believe because I have said it or have some stories where He was with me. You go and seek it out for yourself, and believe it because it is truth.

Not a minute after I drove back down that lonely, abandoned road, I drove over a small object in the middle of it. Because it was very dark and I was totally non-expectant of any such creature to be lying right in my path like that, I swerved to miss the little thing. The only way to not run it over with my tires was to go right over it, but I wasn’t completely sure that I hadn’t killed it. I backed up timidly. Was that an owl?

Getting out, I walked back to where I could see a faint figure lying on its back. At first, the thought of a little owl thrilled me to the uttermost. I had always wanted to see one up close, and had been horribly dismayed when my little sister had had a chance to go to a whole “bird of prey” exhibition at school only weeks before, to which event I had missed due to a terrible evening that I was obligated to fulfill. It meant so much to me to hear of all the wonderful things she got to see, but I never wanted her to see me cry from the terrible disappointment of not getting to go. I don’t think she ever knew, so that turned out all right.

With these thoughts in mind and my heart pounding loud in my chest, I peered down through the darkness to get a glimpse of the bird. What is alive? I sank in my big, clunky boots. It was laying on its back, its body twisted around in an awkward fashion. It must be dead, I thought. I had tried my best not to hit it, but still I felt so sad for the little thing, perhaps I should just pick it up and take it…

It was alive! As soon as I lifted it from the ground, its little body moved around slightly, and I knew that it was completely exhausted and terrified. My heart went to her instantly, and I tucked her close to my coat and began walking back towards the truck. “It’s okay, honey. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s going to be okay.”

Barni was such a pleasure to have. The entire week of her stay was delightful, and God blessed me more than I had even imagined. I took her to a shelter that helps wild animals; apparently she had had a broken wing in such a way that she just required some bed rest and would be back to normal. I had only kept her a week, feeding her little bits of deer venison. She needed to be rehabilitated, and staying with me was only making her terribly tame as each day went by. As an adult screech owl, it was strange that she never once attacked me or felt inclined to escape when in my hands, but perhaps when love is projected toward an animal, they can sense it and draw a peace and security from it. I had so much fun with her, and was very sad to give her over to the lady at that shelter, but it is illegal for one to keep any kind of owl in the state of Oklahoma (and many other states, for that matter), so a week was plenty. What an enormous love note that was! The whole drive home after picking her up, I was so overwhelmed… as if I was surprised that God would do that for me! God does love me! So much, and He loves you too… if you’ll just see it. He turns our tears to joy, the fear to trust.

I found my horses, but that wasn’t even the main piece of story, and goes a whole other direction of adventure. Perhaps I’ll relay that one another time.

I read this verse in Isaiah last night and found it to be very inspiring to me. I pray it is also such a blessing to you. God bless you.

Isaiah 25

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

9And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Me and Barni

I Will In NO WISE Cast Out

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Last week, I witnessed a miracle. You may have heard of things like this taking place; perhaps your pastor has told of such happenings. I, too, have only ever heard of such… but this time, I was not only a bystander that witnessed something incredible, but a contributing participant in the miraculous event: Another sheep has been added to the fold! We have been praying for our cousin, Kels, ever since we were small children, and last week I witnessed a most beautiful birth.

Over the course of the last 10 years+, we had the chance to see Kels maybe once a year. As the years went by, she would return to visit us less and less frequent than when we were younger, and each time that we were blessed with the privilege of her company, it was apparent the changes that were progressively taking place in her: the world was having its toll upon her life. We knew this, and so prepared with every new Kels-visit to be such a light and blessing to her… to be so salty… so loving and inviting, that she would long for what God was doing in our lives to manifest in her own. Never enforcing anything—ever—upon her, we only showed love and patience, and simply prayed for her 10-fold, behind the scenes. We’ve been praying for this lovely girl since she was 9, and it has taken God all these many years of allowing her life to grind her into the sweet, humble character that she is now in order to soften her heart towards that very moment she would accept Him as her Lord and Saviour.

God answers prayer, and just like Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, He hath made every thing beautiful in His time, we had no choice but to take Him at His Word, and wait upon Him and His sovereign grace in performing His perfect will. He knows what He is doing at all times, if we will only but trust Him in this, and rest upon His promises to us-ward.

When the Holy Spirit filled the room where my family and I sat, we were each one busy with our own individual task and at first hardly noticed what was taking place on the couch where two girls sat watching a video on a laptop. Something happened. A heart was deeply moved, but it wasn’t the heart of the transgressor alone that was being moved, but the sweet spirit of the witnessing girl that sat beside her, her own heart burning for that of her beloved cousin’s. Hannah wanted to do what she could for this girl; she didn’t care that it seemed to have taken too long… that perhaps this was a heart that could never be changed, because when God comes on the scene, there is nothing so great… nothing so impossible, that He can’t change the entire circumstance, swooping in to the rescue of His beloved children. Before I knew it, I heard a commotion behind me, and things instantly began to take place. Kels’s heart was soft, God moved on Hannah to say the right words to her, and as if the entire inhabitants of the room were in on some conspiracy, we all moved in to help, and were soon on our knees aiding in the prayer of a new believer. A seed was planted; the light shone upon the seed. This was an entirely unexpected event, and we stood up from the floor of that office, happy tears in our eyes, ready to walk into what ever would be the next step that God should lead each of us to take.

The next day, as I was driving to meet Kels and her family to say my goodbyes upon their departure, I was suddenly struck with an unpleasant thought. It was a sly, creeping sliver of a lie that was increasingly approaching me with the question: was it real? Was what I witnessed only a day before a genuine, born again experience, or was everything just going to settle back to the way it used to be after everyone goes home? I am rather new to the experience of observing a process of a son or daughter of God in the making. I found myself getting worked up the more I dwelt upon it, and I almost felt like if I didn’t do something more in this situation, things were going to fall apart—but that is an old part of me that I never want to see again. The old Sarah thought she could handle things her way, and that if she didn’t have her hand in just about everything, then it simply was not going to get done. The old Sarah held on to things, stressed about them… wanted to make them right without waiting for the proper time, and when I recognized this familiar thought process to be one that I abhorred, another thought surged instantly through my body. I had a sermon playing in the background, and a scripture shot right out to me to slay down this evil gremlin of doubt that was whispering its lies.

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I-will-in–no-wise-cast-out!

In those 7 minutes of driving into town, I was so joyously overwhelmed by the extremity of my realization, that I went whooping and hollering right on down the street the rest of the way. I heard what Kels had said, and I knew that she had meant it along with all the tears she cried. She had asked Him into her life. She had repented and He forgave her, and there is NO WAY He doesn’t know exactly where she is right now and that He isn’t working on her every moment of the way. He loves her so much, and He knows just exactly what He’s doing with her. I played my part—we all did—and now we must continue to keep her in prayer and always be ready to be there for her in encouragement and love when she needs it most.

It was certainly a powerful reminder for me. When that little spirit of doubt comes sneaking in close, you just slam the door right on his fingers and tell Him what God has to say about things! God gave us His promise, and nothing the devil can say will have any grounds ever again if you just remember that he lies every single time he opens his mouth! Not a thing he says is truth, so turn your ear from that devil and rest your eyes upon what God says! Amen!!

True Love

A few days ago, my sister Hannah had an interesting thought that kept tickling me the more I dwelt upon it. I just wanted to expound on it here for a moment, while remembering that it was her thought to begin with 🙂

Let’s depict a scene of a young lady who is in love. You may have noticed, that when she has found this love, he is simply all she can think of. You walk into the room to find her in deep phone-conversation, and with simply one glance at that grin on her face and the slight giggle-tone in her voice, you know exactly who she is talking to at that very instant. If the silly girl’s gonna say something to you, it is most definitely going to pertain to her “wonderful” David… what he said to her today… what wonderful things he’s been doing… how swell he looked in that new tie. She’s just crazy about him, and there’s nothing you can do to break the focus of this thought pattern. If you do accomplish this, you are probably a cruel person, and perhaps jealous of her rapturous ecstasy.

She wants him to herself, but she loves to talk about him in adoration. His affections and sweet words of poetry are for her alone, and she thinks they are so perfectly romantic, and sometimes acts like she would never show them to you, but you know eventually that you are going to hear about them because “David” wrote it, and the whole world revolves around him anyway.

If you are spiritually minded, you probably know where I’m going with this. There is an obsession happening here in a way, but a good obsession. Perhaps not so good for the passersby that do not wish to hear about her infatuation, but in her heart, this means not a thing. She loves him, and she knows that he loves her… and that makes everything else okay.

This types our own, personal relationship with Christ perfectly, except for one major difference. Yes, your relationship with Him is completely one-on-one/personal, typing that of a man and woman, but when you’re in love with Him, you want everyone to be! You want to share Him. You want that one-on-one intimacy with Jesus where you know it is just you and Him walking side by side, but at the same time, because you’re a part of the Body of Christ, His precious Bride, you feel for others and wish for them to have all the joys and blessings that you partake of. Your desire should be that all may have the same relationship and intimacy with your Jesus as you do! You’re going to take that Book of poetry that He wrote to YOU, and everywhere you go, He is on your mind, and you are ready to invite more members to this Body that together make up that Bride.

As the Bride of Christ, we need each other and love each other… we are His Bride, together as One, and should always be willing and ready to help or encourage the other member. And like the girl that is in love, so are you… so much in love with Him that every new day is just as exciting and, yes, romantic, as the first day you met Him. You wake up… who’s ready to talk with you: Jesus. He wants to be a part of your every minute; He wants to share your emotions and thoughts. Imagine being in a relationship with someone, going throughout your day simply passing one another, hardly nodding in acknowledgment to even pronounce their existence. Sounds like some old, stale couples that get tired of one another’s company. Does this sound like they are truly in love? How would you feel if your true love walked passed and hardly noticed you… ever. Would that make you feel very loved?

Jesus longs for your fellowship; He longs to spend the day with you, helping you along in your hard times and troubled thoughts. He begs for it, but most of all… He wants you to love Him. Love Him with all your heart… give Him everything that you have and are. Even if it isn’t much you have to give, He wants it all. It is up to you to decide what this means in your own life, but if you truly knew what it is like to just give in to His calling upon your heart, cast all your burdens to Him, fully trusting upon His protection and provision in every aspect of your life, there is NOTHING in this world that could hold you back from desiring only to be with Him. If you only knew the peace that comes with such Love… you’d never be the same. What a wonderfully magnificent thing to have; this is true Love.