God So Loved

Mathew 13:44-46

Would the day ever arrive?  Oh, to have joy and love like his parent’s had in their marriage.  There was no greater desire in the young man’s heart than to have and hold that special someone.  When LORD?  When will my love be revealed?

As this young man goes about constructing the beginnings of his life and livelihood the desire continues to burn in his spirit.  It takes great effort to wholly concentrate on the mundane daily routine of building a future.  Although he could understand the necessity he was hard pressed to find any thrill in the doing of it.  Yet, his great expectation was to be ready when she finally made her unexpected debut.  All his friends thought he was off his rocker.  Why not have some fun; sow some wild oats; put yourself out there and enjoy life?  As far back as he could remember his father had been his inspiration and hero.  Dad had done it right and if possible he’d do it just like Dad.  There was no imagining any other mother than the one he had.  No other wife for his father would have sufficed.  He remembered stories his mother told of his father’s early shenanigans.  His father too had made preparations while praying for God’s direction.  Dad used to say that God made and brought a wife to Adam then made and brought a wife to him.  Dad trusted Christ and believed in prayer.  Now it was his turn.  It seemed only prayer got him through every plodding day.  But, some day she’d surely show up. 

Mom told him how Dad had given up everything just for her.  It was an endearing recollection.  Dad had thought he’d made preparations and sacrifices until God had brought Mom into his life.  Suddenly, Dad felt he had so much to do and so little to give.  In fact, Dad had no thought for any possession and no desire to acquire anything but Mom’s heart.  Dad said she was his hidden treasure, the one pearl of great price.  He’d never fully understood the reference, but Dad said the day would come when he’d get it. 

Dad had sold his car, the prized transistor radio, the lucky fishing pole, and anything else of value.  Mom would proudly show off the little diamond ring that Dad had bought with every cent he could scrape up.  She said it was her protective, concealing, ring that kept her hid from all the other guys.  Mom even commented how she’d hid behind that ring at times when things had gotten tough.  Oh, Dad loved Mom and Mom loved Dad but their relationship held the same ingredients as high explosive and more than once in the right circumstance, without careful attention, the ingredients had come together to almost destroy their marriage.  But, Mom would hold out that ring and with a twinkle in her eye say it had hid her many times from trouble, temptation, and terror.  Dad too, when Mom did that, would glance at the ring, smile an almost imperceptible smile, and then grunt some obscure axiom when he realized he was caught out.

Dad had talked a little about when he’d traipsed like a sick puppy after Mom.  He said he’d quit playing baseball with his friends, quit hanging out with the guys, and began to do all the things she wanted to do.  He said there were no other girls that could gain his attention and no boy who could tear him away with the most mischievous scheme.  Everything in his life at that time was centered and focused on her.  Not only was he focused on her at the time but he’d resolved that there would be no other thing, person, or place that would ever replace her in that special hidden chamber of his heart.  Dad often talked about God’s love and said our limited understanding of love could only be fully explored through the God-given institution of marriage.  It was Dad’s hope that his son would someday find the fullness of even this limited understanding.

The young man had been musing about these things when suddenly his phone rang.  It was his cousin; the cousin who needed a wingman for the night.  Richard’s date wouldn’t go out with him without her best friend tagging along.  Would he be up for a blind date? 

Between us and Thee,

A veil of cannot see.

Our prayers and petitions, O LORD,

Go past death’s appointed door.

In your presence they come to rest,

Waiting answer pressed down and blessed.

God’s answer, both wise and right,

Flies through the blind revealing light.

Author: ghi

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

The man sells all for more than merely the means to buy the field.  He sells all because there is nothing else worth having or more joyful than that field.