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
is currently working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past
seventeen years.
