What goes around, comes around

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and neither my wife nor I were very ambitious. We were both enjoying a much-needed day off. I was very warm and comfortable sitting in my recliner. My wife sat on the couch directly across from me trying to read a letter she had just received before nodding off. Spirits of love, peace, and contentment hovered in our home.

As I watched, her eyes would periodically close and she would slowly, but surely, open them again, and again, trying disparately to focus on the letter in hopes of finding the spot where she had left off.

I hate to admit it but it was rather entertaining watching her struggle to stay awake in order to read that letter. She was apparently oblivious to my presence and scrutiny. My mind started wandering through the past while visions of different moments in our marriage went before me.

As many pleasant thoughts went through my head, I felt a familiar unction in my spirit. The Lord must have been sitting on his recliner watching me at the same time. Obviously, I was also quite oblivious to His presence and scrutiny as I sat there observing my wife. I heard him say in my spirit, “You and I also have seasons in our relationship.”

I felt in my heart that the Lord was hurt because we, the church, have forgotten our first love. It reminded me of what Jesus wrote to the Ephesians in Revelation 2:4, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Like the Ephesians, our zeal can sometimes out last our love. I feel that this saddens Him. We are so busy seeking his hands that we do not take the time to seek his face.

As I looked at her nodding-off on the couch, I was thinking about how much I loved her and thinking of the first time that I had seen her. I sensed that the Lord became jealous of my attention toward her because He interjected a question into my spirit, “When was the last time that you lingered with me and thought about the first or last time that we were together?” Ouch! I didn’t feel condemned but I did feel pricked in my spirit. I felt a warm tingling sensation because of His presence. He had my attention.

I have learned that as great as married life is, it would be an empty world were He not in it with me. Now I am glad that my wife loves me because of me and not because I pay the rent and buy the food. I am equally sure that she is glad that I love her because of her and not because she cooks my dinner and washes my clothes. We both appreciate what our hands do for each other but we love each other because we have sought each others faces.

God taught me a good lesson that day: although it’s alright to ask and thank Him for what He does, we need to seek His face and love Him for who He is, not for what He does. It's called relationship.

I learned that there are seasons in our life with God as well—a season of seeking, of acquaintance, friendship, courtship, and proposal; there are times of struggle and misunderstanding but there are also times of peace, contentment, and love. He is truly our bridegroom, and we are truly His bride. Let’s not forget Him and our first love.

So, the next time you are entertaining yourself at your spouse’s expense, remember that the Lord is also watching you. I guess what goes around, comes around.

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NOTE: This is a revised writing from when I was still married. I thought it might help somebody in their relationship with the Lord. In a few weeks I will have a follow up blog to report further the seasons of our relationship with Christ.


NEXT WEEK: “The Power of Prayer.” Grandma to be, admitted her daughter at the Neonatal Center at eleven o’clock in the morning and the waiting game began. What a great day, she was about to become a grandma. Grandma! It felt weird to her. Then it all took a turn for the worse.

See you next Monday and thanks for stopping by,

Your Host
James Lindquist
http://www.jameslindquist.net