The Luckiest

It seems that the topic on the minds of many people lately is finding their Great Love. Who will it be? Do I get only one Great Love? How will I find that One? Will it stay perfect forever?

My parents have been married 25 years this December. That's quite a long time. I'm a couple years away from 25 and well, I just couldn't imagine a 25 year commitment to anything at this point in my life. I think about their relationship and I think of how lucky they are to have each other. They have struggled, they've learned, they've grown. They need each other more today than they did 25 years ago. And maybe the beautiful part is that after all this time, they still want each other.

I think about the opportunities to love--and to be loved--that we get in our life. If we're honest with ourselves, it's a rarity. I sometimes wonder if I actually love myself enough, much less that I could love another person deep enough to fulfill their desires. I know that God has given me great capacity to love. To give love, I can do. To receive love? I'm not so sure. I've been great at keeping a healthy distance from those who love me. Not necessarily purposely but maybe protectively. I don't want to become accustomed to something--to yearn for love--and then have it taken away. Soo, better to just not get too attached.

But I've felt God prompting me that the risk of love is worth the loss.

I need to quit calculating the potential loss and capitalize on the treasure that is Love. I think the hardest thing about being safe about love is that I'm truly a romantic. I want the biggest, grandest of gestures. I want it all. I'll take the heartache and longing. I'll take the crushes and the butterflies in my stomach. I want it all. I want the fairytale ending. I want the irrational, unconditional, unfathomable love that few people are blessed with. I also want a man of God who leads undeniably with his actions as his heart is shackled to the heart of God. I want a relationship with a man that isn't of this world--I want a man of God that will spur me to deeper love of Christ, to deeper love of people.

It struck me: Our Great Love has to be the only man who can love us deep enough, most authentically--the only One who can love us that deeply is the One who knows us from the inside out, from our Creator. So when I know and truly embrace the love of my Great One, then can I accept the love of a man on earth. I want to overflow His love so I can receive love.

"You can thank the Father for the things that He has done. Thank Him for the things He's yet to do. And If you find a love that's tender, if you find someone's who's true--Thank the Lord. He's been doubly good to you."--Rich Mullins

"I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you. Next door, there's an old man who lived to his nineties and one day, passed away in his sleep. And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days and passed away. I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong. That I know that i am The Luckiest."--Ben Folds