Monday, July 13, 2009

love... [I of III]

For the last 55 years, there has been one genre of literature that outsells all historical fiction, crime dramas, and mysteries to win the title of best-selling novels. Know what it is? Romance novels. Yes, the paperback books with wind blown hair of a half naked buxom blond languidly laying helplessly in the arms of a buff Fabioesque male in the grocery market checkout lines. What about highest ranked movies for female moviegoers? Yup, chick flicks. Why do women want to see these films? Simple, we want to get lost in the love affair of the characters! We want to feel that love! We love love! In an email from a friend in New York, he reminded me of how passionately I feel about love:
    I feel that there's a small club of us who love love the way we do, and you, Bianca, are the PRESIDENT of the club. I want to see you succeed like I want Obama to succeed. This sounds ridiculous but it's true. I feel like you need to succeed so that hope that was promised to us by individuals we believe in comes to pass... so that I know everything is the way it's supposed to be. 

But people, we've been duped! Contemporary media, medieval literature, and archaic Platonic philosophy has created an idealized version of love. We wait for someone from Seattle to meet us at the top of the Empire State Building, a maverick who snuck onto a doomed ship dodging icebergs confessing our undying love to someone they've just met, or having a man by the name of Jerry say, You complete me. But this is not real. So what's a real love story? The whole bible is a love letter from God to His people. Not only does God long for us, but longs to be loved by us (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37-38). Though there are many examples of God's love in the bible, I've isolated three to touch on lightly.

God's love is EVERLASTING. In Jeremiah 31:3 we are told that God loves us with an everlasting love. The ironic part about this is that it was written for the children of Israel who were spoken about through verbal imagery as virgins (v. 4), but we know from previous scriptures that they had been whoring about with other nations, giving themselves to other gods. But His love is eternal and everlasting and incapable of forgetting. 

He hasn't forgotten about us. He knows our names. He knows our every thought. He sees each tear that falls. He hears us when we call. Isaiah 49:16 tells us that He has inscribed us in the palm of His hand. This is the best visual for me because at one time I had two cell phones, a PDA, a laptop, a calendar, a zillion post-it notes, and a notepad on my desk. But even now, the most important things I need to remember are written in the palm of my hand. To know He has me etched in the palm of his hand moves me to my core... to know that my name is near His nail pierced hands means more to me than words could describe. 

Live  today in LOVE. Live in God's everlasting LOVE. 

16 comments:

Kia Gregory said...

There is something so refreshing about reading your posts as part of my devotionals. Thanks for the little, I MEAN HUUUUGE, reminder that "He knows my name, He knows my every thought."

Bridget said...

I LOVE the way you put that..I'm linking you to my blog:)

Diandra Ann said...

Oh my gosh. Another tear jerker. B... I love you! Thanks for that!!!

Quirky Christa said...

Good stuff...as always :)

Rebecca Sehn said...

Mmmmmm Fabio..... lol. Inspiring as always!

Jasmine said...

I love LOVE...and if any blog readers are getting married, ask Bianca for a photographer recommendation...I'm sure she'll give you a good one! :D
(just kidding!)

Anonymous said...

fabulous!! I love LOVE too! NOTHING compares to the LOVE that is so freely given by Jesus!

anxiously waiting for part II,
-j

Anonymous said...

I love LOVE too. Thanks for the story and reminder of God's everlasting LOVE for us. His love is better than any love story out there. He created LOVE!

Thanks B. for your blog and happy late anniversary.

~Maria

Gabby said...

Awesome as always B! The love from our heavenly Father truley is everlasting...thanks for being real and welling to bare your soul for all.

Love you B and can't wait for tomorrow night woohoo!!!

P.S. peer pressure does work
after you scolding me here I am leaving my first comment :)

Anonymous said...

Gabby gave in! hahaha...yeah I think I'm might call in sick tomorrow, I don't know if i can handle it...

and thanks for not calling us out!

p.s. I hate romance novels and chcik flicks

Bianca said...

Yeah for blog stalkers who reveal themselves!!! Three cheers for Gabby (you're the best) and Anonymous (you're second best because you're anonymous =]). Hahaha! Who said peer pressure wasn't a good thing?

FYI "Anonymous" I will keep your identity revealed ;)

@Kia: Thanks for the support!
@Bridget: Thanks for the link :) PS I hope your bunch wins!
@Maria: Thanks for the anniversary wishes! :) I'm a lameo but I can admit it.

Erica Maestro said...

Thank you for the reminder, reading this made me wanna just run and open the "BOOK OF LOVE"

Stephanie said...

you are sooooo awesome and on point. i, too, LOVE love.

i really appreciate how relavent your are WITHOUT compromising the Word of God. thank you.

JPBJR said...

Bravo Rockstar!

Once again, you've hit the proverbial nail on the head!

Back when I was in school, one of my Liberal/Hippie teachers made us read Leo Buscalia's book "LOVE." He was the Love Guru Du Jour back in the 80's.

Just thinking about reading that book filled with all that flotsam and jetsam, still makes my head hurt.

p.s. I didn't tell Gilda to slug you at the picnic.

Anonymous said...

Amen... Praise the Lord for everlasting love!

Anonymous said...

Amen... Praise the Lord for everlasting love!

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