Category:Loving God

It was Unexpected Answer to a request I’d never made aloud.

My dream had been locked away in the deepest part of My Heart.

But The Lord knows My Heart & My Dreams. (FYI, He knows yours, too!)

Unknowingly, I’d been asking The Lord for a man to love.

A man with My List of 10 particular characteristics.

Then One Fine Day, The Lord unexpectedly answered my silent prayer.

With a question.
You know. Like He does.

I could almost hear His Voice:
“I have this Cute Boy with 9 of those 10 characteristics. Will you take him?”

“Yes!” I replied joyfully.

“Great!” announced The Lord.

“Then I’m going to add a bunch more, totally amazing characteristics to Your List. Things you didn’t even think to ask for. It will be just like Paul wrote about in Ephesians 3:20.”

Then He beamed.

The Lord was right, you know.
Because He always is!

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

PSALM 37:4

Suddenly everything changed.

I’d worked so hard for so long. Raising My Three Sons. Earning My Degrees. Teaching My Students. Building My Practice. All I was looking for was a Social Life.

I just wanted to find Fun and Laughter again.

But I got so much more than I’d thought possible!
A Totally Amazing Friend!

Remember My List? The One The Lord upgraded?
Well, it wasn’t long before I realized this Cute Boy has,
not just 9 or 10 wonderful characteristics. He has at least 86!

Literally. I wrote them down.
And I still have That List.

BONUS! He loves all the things I love!

• Live theatre: opera, ballet
• Classical Symphony
• Art museums
• Dancing
• Jesus

Who knew there was such a man on the earth?
Suddenly everything had changed.

But I never told the Cute Boy what happened next …

I cried.
More than you can imagine.
Almost daily. For the next 4 months.

First, my tears were the result of being overwhelmed by Sheer Joy!
I was amazed by the fact that The Lord had created such perfectly matched companions … and dance partners. Sometimes I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep.

I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d want to change about this man.
And I still can’t.

Second, I cried from fear … and anticipatory grief.
Because I have a lot of anxious memories.
If you’ve read my story, you know
my amygdalae have stored
enough data to keep me
sad and running
scared.

Clearly this was going to be a Really Big Challenge for me.

To be continued …

According to that old Doublemint Gum commercial, Double Goodness automatically includes Double Pleasure and Double Fun.

“Double your pleasure. Double your fun.
With double good, double good Doublemint Gum.”

Okay. I know that’s a pretty far stretch. But you know how it goes when one of those silly jingles gets stuck in your head, yes?

You know, they’re actually right though. Not about gum, of course.
But about what God wants us to experience living in His Love.

Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours. Isaiah 61:7

Do you realize what happens when Our Creator doubles something good?

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45)