The Engagement

August 15, 2009

My daughter is officially engaged! She has the ring and the euphoria to prove it too! This morning I slept in a bit and woke to hearing her and her fiancé down in the living room laughing and talking…apparently still a little giddy from the events of yesterday. I expect that will last a while. Hopefully they will be like (or better) than Gary and me and still be a bit that way 26 years from now. I want them to have a ridiculously amazing passion for each other 50 years from now. (Lord, let it be.) So, as I was getting up and dressed this morning I was thinking on all of this and God reminded me of our engagement. (Have you ever looked at the word “engage” in the dictionary? The definition is pretty exciting.) It is really beautiful how so many things in our world, traditions included, truly do come from the throne of God. Look at the engagement ring for example.

Yesterday Joshua offered Lisa the traditional engagement ring as a symbol of his desire and promise to make her his bride and Lisa, ecstatically, took that ring and will continue to wear it as a proof that she has agreed to that promise, accepted the privilege of becoming his bride, and will keep her heart faithfully committed to him. What a beautiful picture of Christ and the church! One that we can look around us and see everywhere; young engaged couples, brides and grooms, young married couples all the way up to the silver headed couples surrounded by three generations of children. All promising, living out the promise and living in hope of a continued promise over and over and over again. All of them, a living portrait of Christ Jesus and the Church. Do you see it?

Thirty-six years ago I became engaged to Jesus. He promised that if I committed my life to him that one day he would return and make me his bride. I accepted his offer, agreed to keep my heart committed to him the rest of my life and as a symbol of this promise he gave me his Spirit . The power of God’s Spirit in my life is equivalent to the diamond that now sparkles on my daughter’s hand. Everyone that looks at my daughter will know that she has committed herself to Joshua for she will proudly display that ring to anyone and everyone she meets. She will care for it and keep it sparkling, just like her eyes sparkle when she looks at him. Do my eyes still sparkle at Jesus? Do I display the power of God’s Spirit in my life with pride, careful to be sure he shines through me? My sweet husband has loved me well, selflessly, understandingly, faithfully for almost 26 years now. I adore him and I am honored to be loved by him. But even Gary has never loved me as perfectly as Jesus has before I ever knew who he was he loved me. He gave all he had so we could be together so while I wait for him to come back and take me home with him I will wrap myself up in his Comforter . Like my daughter and Joshua admire the ring on her finger, not for its beauty but for all the hope and love it represents, I will sink myself into the Holy Spirit and dream in hope of that day that I will, all dolled-up in a beautiful dress , be one with my Beloved.