Captivated by Love

Relationships can be tricky.  Finding Mr. Right is next to miraculous.  Once he waltzes into your life, however, everything changes. 

Twenty-three years ago, I met Kurt.  It was a divine setup.  Shortly before meeting one another, I, a lonely and frustrated young adult, offered a desperate prayer to the Lord.  I declared I would serve Him singly if He required it of me, all the while, with tears streaming down my face.  Little did I know, Kurt had already started attending my home church.  We just hadn’t met...yet.

A few months later after that gut-wrenching prayer, our paths crossed at an evening Bible study. Introductions were made and second looks were stolen. On our first date, two short months later, Jesus shared our table. Dreams were exchanged and the conversation was effortless.  As we talked, eye contact was steadied, and listening was intentional. I walked away that night feeling all unraveled.  As I prepared for bed, I found myself in prayer again.  This time I was fighting a different set of emotions and arguing with God at the speed with which they came. He guided me to scripture, spoke gently and I awoke the next morning hopelessly in love with Kurt.  We spent every waking minute together!  We were inseparable.  We grew spiritually together, we served together, we laughed hysterically together, and we were married together shortly thereafter.

Now, generally, I would counsel any young girl she should go out on a few more dates before saying she fell head-over-heels in love immediately after meeting a guy! But I can’t explain the peace that came with that captivating love.  I had no reason not to trust Kurt, though I barely knew him.  In my mind, I thought it was all unexplainable, but in my heart, the matter was settled. 

Love had settled the matter in my heart.

Perhaps your love story has a greater soundtrack behind it or a more complex plot twist!  I celebrate with those of you who are happily married.  I ache for those of you who long for the embrace of a spouse who has passed or those whose marriages need Heaven’s intervention. Maybe you are still awaiting the Lord’s best to arrive at your doorstep.  And greater still, you may be contented to live your life singly sold out to the King.  Let’s get one thing straight. No man is completely perfect, except one. 

The One. Jesus. 

Jesus’ love is perfection. And we have no reason not to trust Him from the very first introduction. 

I John 4:16 “We know how much God loves us and we have put our trust in His love.”

In this verse, the word “know” translated from the Greek is ginōskō.  Ginōskō, means “to know.  The knowing is very deep.  Not only just to know, but to then, understand.  It is intimate.  It’s a nose-to-nose, up close, and “pore-sonal” type of love.  So close you can see someone else’s pores! Scripture affirms that God knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7).  That would mean He is definitely close by to get a count.  Scripture also affirms that He has lavished His love on us, (1 John 3:1).  That would also evoke proximity as it is poured out because that precious love could not afford to be wasted.

But what about that second part 1 John 4:16?? That trusting part? Being close, intimate, and dear to someone would require a deeper level of trust.  But,

“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Numbers 23:19

 Our God is to be taken at His Word.  To be taken seriously.  He can be believed.  Some have a difficult time equating a more intimate love with Jesus based on what their view is of it in the natural, therefore trusting Him.  Society has skewed Heaven’s purpose for rightful love.  If you struggle in this area, I encourage you to consider your “body language” around the Lord. 

Consider your body language. 

Do you squirm when He comes near?  Ask yourself if it’s hard for you to hold His gaze. If you observe a man and woman in love, it is quite noticeable the connection between them.  Attention and affection are dolloped upon each other.  Trust is the cherry on top.  It’s the way the man protects her from oncoming traffic as they cross the street. It’s the way she dismisses texts from other guys. It goes beyond the handholding and exchange of inside jokes.

No relationship can survive without trust. 

(Currently, I am typing this blog from my seat on an airplane.  I will arrive home quite late after a day of delays, but I trust my “Kurt in shining armor” to be curbside to pick me up and whisk me home!)

Love makes people do crazy things, like circling the airport again and again. Jesus’ love for us kept Him on the cross.  Therefore, because of that big love, He can be trusted.  Furthermore, it makes Him absolutely captivating.  So go ahead. Get close…. closer…..closer to His trusted, fool-proof, captivating love.