Enchanted Lives/Loves...Small Moments...Hope

"Love isn't like some enchanted evening. It isn't a fairy tale or even love at first sight. That isn't real life."

How true is that? I believe it can be both enchanted and not quite easily. Love for others stems from our love towards our love of God. Once we love God purely then we can love others purely. If our love for God is tainted, then it will display itself in how we relate and "love" others in our lives. How do we love? How are we called to love? Well, Scripture says that God chastens those He loves (Isaiah 53). Parents are called to discipline the child...to bring him back to the paths of righteousness when he/she strays. Life isn't easy...and love is doing what is best for a person...even when they don't believe it's their best. 

Best can be standardized by Scripture...best is not to be determined by what we call best for someone. What we might call best might not be what someone else calls best. So it is the Bible which we must turn to in order to see what is considered best for a person. Sometimes it calls for harsh words or actions...sometimes it calls for gentle correction...sometimes it means just leaving them alone yet praying for them. 

Anyways, I am straying from my original thoughts. Love can be enchanted...I've seen couples and just watching them interact *I* get starry eyed. It can be so beautiful...so enchanting...so absolutely breathtaking just to see love in action in these lovely Christian couples. It can be a fairy tale...but maybe not quite the fairy tale that we see splayed out in the pages of books. Those stories don't tell quite everything. I mean, who wants to read a fairy tale where they actually do fight and have bad times and just rotten days?

But that's life. Life is accepting the good times *and* the bad times. Life is knowing that even when you fight with someone you can make up...you can forgive...you can move on knowing that God has greater plans and that fights with people can either break or make you. It can break you apart for good if one or both of you are foolish enough to let it, or it can give you a stronger bond than ever before. 

So while life can be amazing...it can be hard. It can be a challenge. It can feel like dying would be easier then facing tomorrow. But it is so worth it. I've often told people that kids remind me of living a life. They make messes, they cry, they yell and scream at you, they disobey, they are rebellious, they are a pain in the butt...but then...for five minutes they snuggle up to you and lay their little head on your shoulder and say "I love you, Seeah (Sarah)" and then...then it is all worth it. Just those few beautiful moments fill your eyes with tears and make it completely worth it.

That is life all summed up. The days get rotten...you get stressed, busy, unproductive, unhealthy, easily depressed and overwhelmed. You feel like you can't close your eyes for fear that the darkness will overwhelm you...you can't keep your eyes open because if you do you'll cry from the craziness and sick humor of the world. But then...then there is this one beautiful moment where the world turns the right way and the sun peeks out from the clouds and the rainbow appears and then you know why you are the way you are and how you are and where you are in life. You understand everything. You understand your purpose and destiny in life as God has chosen it. 

Then of course it goes back to being all crazy life before...but those few moments every once in a while...when we need it most...those are what we live for. Those moments are what we strive and fight for every day of our lives. Just to have those few seconds of absolute joy and peace. And as we find Christ in our lives more and more...so those moments of joy and peace grow more and more often. 

So let us look for that...let us see those beautiful moments. I've found that they happen more often when you break away from daily life...when you step out of routine...when there is quiet and nothing going on. When you seek God earnestly and seek to clear your mind from everything that is happening in your life. Most of the time it is the small things...the tiny things (like a child saying they love you...or hugging you...not wanting to say goodbye). But the little things really are far more important than any big thing ever was. 

Those small things are what forms us...what gives us hope. Hope is so valuable...if you've ever seen any person without hope then you've seen a living corpse. A dead person who walks around but really in a coffin. They have created their own hell and live it every day. They have nothing to live for...nothing to fight for...nothing to strive for. They have no end...they have no goal...they have no purpose. So look for those small things...seek them out! Pray for hope...pray for small moments...pray for rainbows and sunshine. No thing is too small to pray for...God loves to hear our "small" requests...after all it is those small things that comprise our lives!