It's St. Valentine's Day and love is in the air.
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| Our Wedding Day, December 19, 1976 |
But what is this thing called love? Have we grasped its full significance? Have we grasped the implications of what true love means? Even for the mature, I dare say the answer is no. True love is willing to suffer some unpleasantness.
When I slipped an engagement ring onto the finger of the love-of-my-life, did I fully comprehend what I was getting into? Sometimes I think it is better that we don't know. A little blissful ignorance can carry us a long way. 😉
Real love means change—personal change. That's the toughest kind of change. We can change our physical location, our wardrobe, our demeanor, but can we change ourselves? That requires real effort. That's a work of the Holy Spirit active within us. I know I need a healthy measure of that kind of change every day. That's a bit of that toilet-cleaning change. Change on the inside.
By a grand fluke of the lunar calendar, today is not only Valentine's Day. It's also Ash Wednesday—the start of Lent. Lent is an annual reminder of the passionate life-giving love of Jesus.
The Son of God left heaven, so he could clean the toilet bowl this world finds itself in. He gives us beauty for ashes in that grand exchange that is love—true love. He suffered so we could be set free from sin. When we repent, we become participants in the great romance of heaven and earth. Heaven came to earth in the person of Jesus, so we could one day be with him forever.
With a freshly cleaned toilet bowl, I'm feeling romantic already. Love is in the air.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to head off for a lunch date with my wife—the love-of-my-life.
David Kitz is the award-winning author of
a Passion of Christ novel
that is an ideal read for the Lent/Easter season.
2 comments:
Well now, cleaning the toilet bowl - that was a great start to this very rare 'Valentinian Ash Wednesday,' David! (Smile.) What a novel, yet apropos analogy for why Christ came and suffered and died for our sins. Thank you. That's lovely picture of you and your Beloved as newlyweds. True love from Jesus and lived in His grace never fails. ~~+~~
David, good blog. As a writer, it is interesting how we see opportunities like this to write about. You look soooo young getting married. Hope your valentine's day was a good one.
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