Water

Nothing says I love you quite like rainfall when you are parched. Or sweet conversation and lots of laughs by the fire to warm you when the rain gets hard and cold. Or your favorite flowers waiting for you when you get home from an exhausting day. Or a sincere "How are you doing?" that actually waits for a response goes a long way too. Thank you, guys.

I had a difficult few months. Well, difficult may be over-stating it - as I think of what "difficult" could really be: losing a loved one, losing a job, diagnosed with a terminal illness, etc. So no, my few months were not difficult; they were simply disappointing. Dry. It's a vicious cycle, really, when you realize your life is great and you should be thankful but you see so much failure - which, essentially, is failure in seeing that your life is great therefore you should be thankful, dufus! Still, your brain says one thing and you know it's true - but your heart says another and you can't deny it either. We are all living in paradoxes, in tensions. I want to be content but I don't want to be complacent or lazy. I want to be strong but vulnerable at the same time. I have tons of friends all over the place and Jesus loves me so why am I still lonely? If I'm serving Him and people then why do I feel useless, unproductive?

The turn came when I just couldn't hide it anymore. It started to seep out of me and friends started to see. Then I thought, ah, heck. I confessed. I asked for help, for prayer, for advice.
And then it poured.
Healing.
Protection.
Blessing.
I am a branch being pruned by the gardener - not thrown away, says Jesus in John 15.

I have this image of us, God and me: a couple on a sweet getaway. Get away from the house, from the city, from the kids, on a romantic stroll by the river or a top down car-ride through the backroads. Get away to reconnect. It shouldn't be too hard, should it? He is after all, Love.

And He whispers, Stay close to me.

Off I go on my hot date...