Young love. .
.remember it? The thrill of pursuit
consumes the heart and excitement supercedes all other emotions. No matter what tasks the day presents, the
one in love cannot stop thinking about such feelings. The newness of a relationship motivates people
to continue diligently expressing love in romantic ways. The main goal in life is to bring joy to the
other person. . .
And then, one day
the newness wears off a bit. The pursuit
no longer required. Excitement only comes
when special events roll around or big achievements occur. Daily tasks begin to take precedence over
feeling and experiencing the love.
Romantic expressions tend to fall to the wayside due to assumptions that
the other knows how you feel. The main
goal in life shifts to fleshly success or status quo. . .
I have a sickness
– I love to watch young high school age kids ‘in love’. I find it entertaining to watch them flirt,
laugh and enjoy the presence of one another.
I picture them married with children and pray the spark never extinguishes. I live vicariously through them and take a
trip back in time. . .the spring of my 8th grade year when a
handsome boy caught my eye at a basketball game. The time came for my team to play and all I
could think about was ‘looking good’ for him.
I wanted my name to be announced the most during the game and my ‘mad skills’
to mesmerize him. How did that work for
me? Not so well. It took lots of late night conversations,
flirtatious looks and patience for him to realize he loved me as much as I
loved him. But then, one day he realized
what he been missing J. He asked me
out. In came the newness of a
relationship. You know. . .taking the
long route to class in hopes to see him in the hallway, passing notes (remember
paper and pen) expressing the love in your heart, meeting up after school to
fill each other in on the day, attending the other’s events (even if it is
tennis) and being their biggest fan or making a special dinner for two by candlelight
in a decorated dining room. Life
changed. I began a shift from complete
tomboy to dressing a bit more feminine.
I looked forward to the weekend and the dates planned for me! I loved being listened to for hours on the
phone or on the drive to our destinations.
Cell phones, Ipads and all other distractions did not exist. He was all about me (selfish, I know, but I
LOVED it). The love overflowed and each
of us expressed it daily. Never did we
question the love in each other’s heart.
Does this have to stop simply because of a ring on the finger? NO!
Keep the flame
burning – date nights, staying up late just talking, putting the devices away each
time you return home, surprise each other with thoughtful words or small gifts,
work as a team to manage the home, etc.
The list continues. The bottom
line is work hard at it each day with the same passion you had in the
beginning. Remember the reason you fell
in love and keep those feelings on the forefront of your mind.
In the same way. .
.I urge you friends to not let the relationship with Christ extinguish or fade
in the least bit. The newness of being a
Christian motivates most to diligently work and serve the God who saved. No matter the tasks on the agenda, He remains
first in your thoughts. Life
changed. The main goal in your life was
obedience and pursuit of a deeper relationship.
Remember taking time to look for Him throughout your day, journaling,
meeting up with Him through prayer to share sorrows and joys of your day,
becoming a follower – not a fan. The
clothes you wore, music listened to and words you said changed to be pleasing
to God. You looked forward to Sundays
(scheduled weekly date) to go and worship Him in church. Does this have to diminish due to the
‘rescue’ already occurring? NO!
Keep the
relationship growing – pray, appreciate Him, keep your eyes on Him, place Him
at the center of each moment, attend church regularly (not only on special
events), place distractions aside, fill up with Truth, serve others, share your
testimony, remember the love He expressed by giving up His only Son to wash
away all sins of your past – present – and future. The list continues. The bottom line is work hard at the
relationship each day with the same passion you had the moment you came out of
the water! Keep Him on your heart always
and consume your thoughts with His Truth.
He loves you beyond words. . .convey the same.
Keep praying
harder than the devil can work.
Sheree Craig
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