Friday, February 10, 2012

True Romance

I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me.  Song of Solomon 7:10

Last week, my wife Anne forwarded me the following blog written by Barbara Rainey.  It's from a great website focused on marriage and families.  (Family Life)  It brought me tremendous insight and I offer it to you, in the context of Valentine's Day, to equip and encourage you in your marriage.  Enjoy!
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So often, a man thinks romancing his wife means buying a certain gift or doing a certain thing or creating a certain situation.  And, yes, all of these things can communicate romance to a woman.  But romance for us is all about relationship and time, about feeling safe and accepted, about simply being together.

So when I think of a true, romantic memory, I'm taken back to one September when Dennis took a whole day off work -- not to clean the garage or go fishing or catch up on some writing, but just to spend it with me and do whatever I wanted to do.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.  We worked in the yard for a while, feeling the cool snatches of fall through our flannel shirts.  Then we went inside, cleaned up a little, hopped in the car and just took off.  We drove for several hours, stopping where we wanted, doing what we wanted.

And in a sense, it was almost like being on our honeymoon to me.  For those few hours, we had no responsibilities.  No one else to worry about.  We were just out having fun together.  On an autumn afternoon, I had Dennis all to myself, away from the everyday demands of work and parenting and pressure.  We talked and laughed together all day long.  It was absolutely wonderful.

No, it wasn't the typical sweep-me-off-my-feet moment.  I didn't feel like I was being carried to the castle to live happily ever after.  It was much richer and sweeter and deeper than all of that.  It was romance in its purest form, being chosen as my husband's delight, seeing his love for me in the joy he found by spending a day...just with me.
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That's good, isn't it?  Want some homework?  Why not take some time as a couple answering this question:  What does romance look like to you?  After the discussion, why not ask God to renew your desire for each other's company and give you sheer delight in spending time together.

This weekend, I look forward to gathering together and focusing on Jesus' inaugural address, so to speak.  Hang out in Luke 4:14-21 and come hungry on Sunday.

I love being your pastor!