True Love

As I was driving home from Bible Study Fellowship today, I heard an absolutely beautiful love story on our local Christian radio station. It went something like this (I will not get it exactly right, so if you heard it too, please extend me your grace). There is a woman from down south in her late 60's. Each Valentine's Day, of her married life, she received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her husband with the message on the card reading, "Our love grows" (I think I got that right). They enjoyed a long marriage, just shy of 50 years, and were blessed with 4 children. Ten months after her dear husband passed away, Valentine's Day came and she received a beautiful bouquet of flowers. This upset the woman because she knew her husband was not able to send flowers from beyond. She called up the florist and told them they had made a mistake. They told her, "Oh, no, this is not a mistake. Prior to your husband's passing, he contacted us and arranged for many years of pre-paid Valentine's Day deliveries." She hung up the phone and read the card. "Our love grows into eternity." I hope I got that right. Anyway, it made me cry. I thought of how this year dad has to think of his "One true love" on Valentine's Day in heaven... this would have been their 50th Valentine's Day as a married couple.

This next verse of thanks makes me think of how relationships work, which makes me think of love (because it takes true love to endure and grow a quality relationship).

"And the leaders of the Levites where Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God." Nehemiah 12:24

This type of praise singing is called antiphonal (an-'tif-en-l), with two sections of the choir standing opposite each other and echoing or responding to one another. It's rather intimate and relational, like a conversation, a good old fashioned face-to-face conversation.

I'm old fashioned. My preferred type of conversation is face to face. I love to be in the personal presence of someone I care to spend my time with enjoying eye contact, body language, and possibly touch, along with our conversations, our interactions. It is so much more fulfilling to me than the phone, email, and I have to admit... I don't text. See... old fashioned.

As my own marriage moves on in years, I've learned a very important truth; you have to spend face time with your spouse... quality, one-on-one time on a very regular basis if it is going to work. We are so much more connected and secure feeling when we make the time to really pay attention to each other and respond to one another. We are happier and feel so much more love and appreciation for each other when we stay connected.

This Valentine's Day, I want you to think about a true love relationship that trumps all others. It is the relationship that our Almighty Father wants most of all... a relationship, a deep, loving relationship of ultimate sacrifice that no one can take away from you... a personal relationship with Jesus Christ - just you and Him. Though you cannot have "face time" with God, you can have quiet time in prayer and reading His love letters to you in His Word - the Bible. The more you make the effort to connect with Him on a regular basis, and respond to His prompting in your spirit, the closer you will grow to Him and His love will simply eminate from you as a light unto the world. Now that is something to be thankful for!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Happy Valentine's Day!

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b