Thursday, April 16, 2015

Spiritual Journey Thursday - Love

 
     I look forward to Thursdays when I can publish thoughts on my spiritual journey and hear the thoughts of others on a weekly theme topic.  It has become a space for an encouraging and fortifying community to come together.  We welcome anyone who would like to join us!
 
 
 
Thank you Margaret Simon for encouraging us to link up poetry this month using the hashtag #digipoetry.  Also, thank you Leigh Anne Eck for creating a button for us to use.
 
This week's theme topic is LOVE.
 
    My four best friends, my chosen sisters and Libby's honorary aunts, will be giving Libby a bridal shower next month, and they will be putting together a very special journal for her (I've told her NOT to read this post!) full of letters of advice about marriage and/or life.  I'm starting the journal off first, and then I will start passing it around to friends and family.  I picked the theme topic, love, last week, before I knew about this journal, and not really knowing why or how it might apply this Thursday, but God knew.  I'm mixing a little poetry and some snippets from last month's slices about What I Know For Sure.  This will be my entry on the first page of her journal:
 
What I Know For Sure About Love
 
When I first fell in love
with your dad,
it was winter.
Seasons came and went
after that,
and as you know,
our dating stories weren't always
perfect.
We made it through those
hard times, though,
knowing that we were meant
for each other,
and we had
a summer wedding,
a Miami Merger.
 
Paul says love
always protects, always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
It certainly does. 
Marriage can be work;
it can be mundane, and
it can be stressful.
But mostly it's fun, joyful,
supportive,
fulfilling, and exciting.
When things get tough
we are confident
it will get better.
We're not perfect,
but we're best friends.
We like to have fun
and enjoy taking on new challenges,
and I respect him immensely.
He loves me more
than I deserve.
 
1 Peter 4:8 says,
"above all,
love each other deeply,
because love covers a multitude
of sins." 
Isn't that true?
From day one of our marriage,
I've known it was permanent,
and so I never had to worry
or fear,
and because we love each other
deeply, we forgive each other our sins.
Jesus taught us to do that,
didn't He?
Our faults
won't overshadow us
because love trumps all that.
"We love
because He first loved
us."
 
I know
that you and Jamie were chosen
for each other from
the beginning.
I know this for sure.
God has joined you together.
I've seen how you love
and respect each other.
I've seen you laugh together,
have fun,
and care for each other.
And NOTHING
can put that
asunder.

Keep laughing,
having fun,
and praying together.
Keep God at the center.
Support each other's dreams,
trust, and forgive.
Faith
and optimism
are imperative.
Enjoy what will be
a great and wonderful
marriage.
It's the adventure
of a lifetime.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6 comments:

  1. What a lovely gift to your daughter. I love the progression of your poem to your daughter. Congratulations! My daughter got married last May. Wonderful Celebration!

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  2. This will bring a tear to her eye when she reads it, and then it will become lasting on her heart as she journeys through her own marriage. What a wonderful gift you have given your daughter! Many lessons of love to hold on to.

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  3. Holly, love is the greatest of all gifts. What God bestowed to your marriage is being past on to Libby and Jamie. Enjoy the wonderful festivities that await you as the mother of the bride.

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  4. What a lovely gift for a new bride! Your poem is a beautiful way to start it off. Congratulations to her, and I hope you enjoy all the celebrations!

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  5. Holly, this poem is so beautiful, I actually teared up while reading it. What a precious gift to Libby. I'm sure she'll cry when she reads your poem and all the other heartfelt sentiment everyone will include. Congratulations for the upcoming marriage! I know the happiness that comes with having a child (my son) find true love---a companion for life that you KNOW is right :)

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  6. Beautiful poem and such a beautiful idea for a gift! I know she will cherish it. Holly, you've found such a lovely way to share such LOVE with your daughter!! :) Sorry my post is SOOOO late, but I wanted to still write and post it!

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