When Bruce and I were first engaged, we thought about each other often, wondering what the other person was doing and thinking, or what their opinion would be. We wanted to get to know each other’s thoughts and we wanted to go everywhere together. We did not want to grieve each other or hurt one another’s feelings. We realized now we were holding each other’s heart in our hands and we became more conscious of our daily actions as our world grew to include the other’s perspective.

We were working to abide and become one together. To me this is a picture of how God wants to relate with each of us. We each get to be His bride individually as well as corporately.

Abide is described in the dictionary as; to remain, stay, dwell; to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship; to last.

When we became parents for the first time, life again took on different perspectives for us. Also when we each encountered God in a real way, our lives and our perspectives changed both individually and as a couple too.

As we learn to abide with God and include his perspective in our day He can bring wealth to the simple things as well as the complexities; as we arise each morning and get involved in the new day and engage in our business; when we interact with others as our paths cross; the way we may prepare a meal, set a table and welcome and share the meal with others…

The wealth of life is in the little things from day – to – day, what we make the most important to us.

[We have grieved and celebrated their lives at the appropriate times. Often what hurts the most missed is that we can no longer communicate with that person even though the memories and love live on in our hearts. Family get-togethers can be a good opportunity to talk with others who loved the one we had to say goodbye to.]

During the first days after brain surgery the medical staff began tests every half hour, gradually increasing the intervals to four hourly.

As part of the test, they asked me to tell them my full name, address and the date.

[I also had to push or pull them with my hands. I remembered the far side cartoon with people getting confused at push and pull signs on the doorways.]

I realized this was upsetting me on the anniversary of my mother’s death, repeating the date over and over, facing the meaning of it each time. I asked if a nurse could help me and she was wonderfully understanding and left a note on my chart so they could use an easier question each time for that day. Whew!

I found when I needed someone on the medical team, God provided the right personality at the right time. Again God showed up faithfully meeting my need.

He is in our darkness too, right beside us. He causes all things to work together for good for each one of us. His love and face are always towards us and He so much desires to be personally involved with each of us.

Have you responded to His invitation to you?

When I was 5 years old, I was the flower girl at my big sister’s wedding. Everyone was excited it seemed, but when I thought of the church I worried about all the rules and what I must remember to do and not to do. On top of all that she was going away and I thought I would never see her again. My crying went to loud bawling. Someone finally came and helped me understand the wedding was just the beginning of their marriage and I would see her again.

Without a relationship with God, His word is like law and death. I only knew of regulations, churches, pews, prayers and strange music, all man-made religion. Now I know He is the God that is the Lover of mankind. I knew He was real as I discovered the wonder of science, art and music, the amazement of a real spiritual being bigger than mankind, God, who gave us His Son. The Kingdom of God came when Jesus came to earth. God designed marriage as a story to demonstrate that Jesus is a bridegroom coming again to make His church His bride.

Our responsibility is to live the way He designed for us, not by rules, but relationship. Often when we find more religion we find more suffering. In the Kingdom of God we get to know a personal God who meets us in our suffering. In our times of darkness we can experience His Presence and Peace. The Father and the Son gave us His spirit to be with us and enable us to experience His way of living.

Will we receive His enabling and empowering to live in the Kingdom of God and not the religions and traditions of the worlds around us?