Love You More Than Life!

Have you ever heard someone say: "I love you more than life itself?" There is a whole host of songs, hallmark cards, and lines from movies that include this or some variation. Think of the Jerry McGuire line so popular: "You complete me." Or how about Romeo and Juliet's “But soft; what light through yonder window breaks? It is my lady! O, it is my love. O that she knew she were.” And then, of course, there is the ultimate "Chick-flick" quote that is not for man who is faint of heart, Pride and Prejudice: “…If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love … I love … I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.” I know many of you ladies reading this are dramatically re-living these moments in your mind's eye perhaps with theme music and all! Perhaps you are thinking of other sappy love stories like "Sleepless in Seattle," "Steel Magnolias," "The Notebook," or "Gone with the Wind."

But then there are us guys. Men who are surging with testosterone and macho ego who conveniently avoid these moments in movies and in life like the plague! My wife Kellee makes it nearly an annual event to watch "Brigadoon," a musical starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. It tells the story of a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years, though to the villagers, the passing of each century seems no longer than one night. The enchantment is viewed by them as a blessing rather than a curse, for it saved the village from destruction. According to their covenant with God, no one from Brigadoon may ever leave, or the enchantment will be broken and the site and all its inhabitants will disappear into the mist forever. Two American tourists, lost in the Scottish Highlands, stumble upon the village just as a wedding is about to be celebrated, and their arrival has serious implications for the village's inhabitants.

This story makes my wife break out in her own theme music, dancing and twirling about like a love sick teenager and causes a strange sense of anxiety in me! It took me years to finally agree to watch the movie with her and several more years for me to stay awake through the whole thing. But, once I got through it I did have to admit that it wasn't as painful as I though. Notice what I said, it wasn't as painful as I thought. It was still painful, just not as painful as I thought! It is a story of love like many of our modern love stories that sweeps people off their feet into a land where love is perfect and breath-taking and powerful. In short, it takes us to a place where love never fails.

As humans we have this longing for a love that is overwhelming and true. We have a huge hole in us that needs to be filled. We try filling that hole with all kinds of earthly things only to find that nothing seems to fully satisfy that emptiness. Blaise Pascal said once: "Only an infinite God can fill an infinite emptiness in us." The other day I was reading through the scriptures in my devotional time and came across a passage that stopped me dead in my tracks. Psalm 63:3 says: "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." I thought to myself, there it is! There is a love that is better than life! It is the love of God which then enables us to love others without fear or holding back.

All these songs and movies and greeting cards describing a deep love that is almost too good to be true have failed to hit the real target. The English Standard Version says: "Because your steadfast love is better than life..."  The deepest longing of every person is to find a love that does not fail and is faithful to the end. This is a love that can only be found in Christ. His steadfast love (a unfailing love that is based upon a prior relationship or intimacy) according to the verse, is better than life! Now that is something to celebrate in song or capture in a movie quote! That is something for my Kellee to actually dance and twirl around the house singing her own theme music to! His steadfast, unchanging, unyielding love...is better than life!

Don't continue going through life without experiencing the infinite and un-ending love of Jesus. His love is truly the only one that could ever fill those empty places in you. His love is indeed, better than life!

 

Lessons from Curley...A Father's Day Reminder!

The other day I was visiting one of my very favorite people in the world. She is not famous or rich, or anything that the rest of the world would consider special. She is, by her own telling, a rather feisty and strong willed woman with an ornery streak. So, what is it about this woman that I love so much? Well, to begin with, her greatest talent and spiritual gift is the gift of hugging...that's right, hugging! From the time I first met her greeting people at the door of a local church she has hugged me every single time I've seen her, without fail. Lately, this has been 1 to 2 times a week. You see, she is dying, and with each passing day I see more and more of her body wither away, and more and more of her spiritual self visible. Even when she is weak and can barely hold her head up, she insists on a hug when I come in. The hugs seem to get a bit longer lately, and each time, we both seem to get a bit choked up. God communicates something so deeply to me each time I am hugged by this beautiful woman. He speaks vividly to me through her divine love language: simplicity and humility.

During my visit on this particular day, she shared something with me, that perhaps on another day would not have meant a whole lot to me. But, on this day, the lesson of Curley deeply impacted me. Yes, I said Curley. Who is Curley? Well, Curley is her 10 year old white Poodle who does not often leave her side. He goes out exploring on occasion, but ultimately, he ends up back at her side after only a short time. She began to share with me something about her Curley that she loved. Each night, as she is tucked into her hospital bed, with all her comfy quilts and blankets piled up on her, Curley jumps up on the bed and lies down with her. At the beginning of this process, my sweet friend is in the middle of the bed, and Curley is on her right side nudged up against her tightly. After a while, she gets a bit warm with this perfectly groomed pile of white fur attached to her like an appendage. So, she shifts a bit and pulls away from the now snoring Curley. A moment later, the perfectly manicured pooch is pressed against her again like he's bungee corded to her hip. This happens several more times throughout the sleeping experience, and each time Curley is back against her in a matter of seconds. By this time she is on the very edge of the bed, against the rail, and Curley is the new reigning champion of the "middle of the bed."

My friend told me this trying to act a bit annoyed, and yet her love for Curley could not be hidden through her little smiles. I'm not sure she understood the significance of what she was telling me as God spoke a simple truth to me through her light-hearted story. You see, I believe Curley is a great picture of how we are to be in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. No, not perfectly manicured and trimmed with a nice bow in our hair. Rather, no matter what kind of movement we find from our Father, our first response and greatest desire should be to immediately draw closer to Him. Anytime we discover a bit of space between us and Jesus, it should be our sole purpose to immediately find Him and bump up against Him! I have heard from several people, including a veterinarian, that small dogs push up against you because it helps them feel safe and secure. What a lesson for us! Like my happy little friend Curley, we should find our peace and security in Christ and stay pushed up against Him at all times. Just like John, the beloved disciple, who leaned upon the Lord during the Last Supper, we too should lean back against Jesus and draw near. Scripture reminds us to "draw near to Him and He will draw near to us." (James 4:8)

So, can we learn a spiritual truth from a small white Poodle named Curley? I believe that our Heavenly Father is waiting to show us His truth in nearly every area of life...if we are willing to see!