Divine Romance
By Brita Crouse
“I will make you
My wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and
compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you Mine, and you will finally
know Me as LORD.”
Hosea 2:19-20
(NLT)
“I
felt really romanced by God tonight,” said my college roommate as she walked
through the door of our apartment one evening. She sat down in the middle of
the floor and began doing some post-run stretches. I stared at her trying to
figure out what on earth she was talking about. My silence gave her the hint I
was a little confused about what being “romanced by God” entailed, so she kept
talking to give me some clarity.
“Have
you seen the sunset?” I had not. I had been studying or cleaning or doing
something that did not involve looking out the window that was only a few
inches from where I was sitting. She stared back at me, waiting for me to turn
my head, making sure I actually did see the sunset.
When
I looked out the window, I got why she said she “felt romanced by God.” The sky
looked like it was on fire. Pink, red, and orange hues splashed across the sky,
giving everything the light touched a warm glow. I’m not a runner, but I have
never wanted to go for a run more than I did at that moment, just so I could be
outside and feel romanced by God, too.
I
could not believe what I had been missing by not turning my head even once to
look at that beautiful sunset. It got me thinking about what other things I was
missing because I was unwilling to pay attention.
In
life, it is very easy to have tunnel vision; to be so focused on one thing that
you miss out on everything else. I especially experienced that as a college
student. But, I realized that I was missing out on things - - things my Savior
was doing to grab my attention.
I
think, as women, we have an innate desire to be pursued. Guess what. This
happens daily. Jesus is always in
pursuit of our hearts, always showing us His love and faithfulness. He gives us
tokens of His love throughout the day, but it is up to us whether we are
willing to receive His gifts or not.
This
week, literally take time to stop and smell the roses. They were made for you.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Look for evidence of God’s love for you this
week, whether it’s through a sunset, a song or the words of a friend.
2. Take the extra time to listen to Divine
Romance by Phil Wickham. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlsIwmtb0U8).
FURTHER
READING:
Brita recently
graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, has been
attending Oakwood for sixteen years, and is currently ministering with
Oakwood’s Quest 56.
