yes, Jesus loves me. No longer a cliche

“You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes…”
A month ago, these were the words I longed to hear. I desired for the Lord to use such language to capture my heart; but God doesn’t talk like that; his voice is something like, “I love you”, but not sappy language like the words in Song of Solomon. Yes, I know he loves me; yes, I know he desires to have my heart, but falling romantically in love with the God of the universe? Come on. While an appealing concept, I couldn’t picture myself falling hopelessly in love with a God who is called The Ancient of Days, Father, King of Kings, etc. He sounds old. Falling in love with a God whom I call father? Noo, thank you. Yet, as I prayed that I would fall in love with God, the idea became a challenge. Was this falling in love with God business a true feeling, or just an expressive metaphor that we Christians use to get the point across? I decided to test it out. “Lord, you said ask and you will receive. Lord, take me into the desert and speak tenderly to me. (Hosea 2:14) I want you to captivate my heart. I want to fall in love with you.” I prayed this prayer over, and over, and over again. Each time thinking, “Great, okay I love God, but I’m not sensing the romance. Is this all by faith, or is there feeling involved?” Psalms 130:5, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits…” I prayed this—and I waited…and waited…and….I waited. Last night, I arrived late to the last of Mr. Rick’s sessions on the Bridal Paradigm, or his six week course on understanding the love of God. Frankly, I was dealing with some flesh issues and didn’t really want to be there. My soul groaned as he laid out the plan for the night—he would wrap up the course, and then we would worship. I did not want to worship, but I listened as he wove the reality of the love of Christ beautifully through his words, prayer, and scripture. I listened intently, then he opened up a time of worship. I surrendered and tried my best to focus on God. As I became more and more lost in praising him, forgetting my flesh, the Lord spoke. He was a handsome, young prince dressed in a white tux, and I was wearing a beautiful ball gown. He came over to me and took my hand while leading me onto the marble dance floor. We began to dance. He was charming, and romantic, and funny. He joked with me as he led me effortlessly across the floor. He was perfect. I was in love…whoa, wait! What? Yes, I said it. In love. Breakthrough. At this moment, the Lord came to me not as my father, or The Ancient of Days, but just as I needed him right then, my Prince of Peace. I enjoyed his company. I desired his presence. He was romancing my heart. He is romancing my heart.