Love Letter 10

Love Letter 10 September 11, 2014

My friend Marc challenged me to write 90 love letters in 90 days as a spiritual exercise. “Our love lists are too short,” he says. He’s right. Declaring our love opens the heart and allows God, who is love, to erupt out of our lives. It’s time I wrote one to you. I love you. That’s a start. And when I say that I don’t mean that I have some gushy feeling that makes me feel good, (though at those relaxed moments I do love your hugs; there’s warmth there that that does make me feel good). But it’s more than that. I love it every time I see you express the love of Christ which is residing, and even unfolding the life within you. I love you with you’re children. You are an amazing mom. Oh I know it’s not been an easy job so far and I know that in your judgmental moments you think I’m wrong about this, but I’m not wrong. You’re an amazing mom. I’ve raised a little kid who had similar challenges to yours. Frankly I did it well, but I couldn’t hold my heart open and offer affection the way you do, not after I had used every ounce of energy I had to stand my ground on the tenth major boundary breach of the day. But even after that, the time comes soon enough for you when your heart opens again and mom’s affection is there for them. God I love you when I see that. I love you when I see what marriage means for you. In a world where people think love means something akin to “you seem to be fulfilling enough of my needs without demanding I give more than I want, that I love you for as long as those conditions last” – in a world like that, you stand apart. You look for how you might serve your husband. That’s great as far as it goes; other women do that. In fact they do it to a fault, but they miss the other part, they miss the part where they ask for mutuality so that the depth of love can grow. You do that. I love you because you are committed to that. Such holy work can only be done when you find loves source, that place where Christ resides. From where else could it come?  I love you, and I want you to hear this next part very clearly, I love you because you are a beautiful woman and the world needs beauty. I know you don’t feel beautiful now but just to be clear, I do see you that way. I know weight has been a struggle and after all that incredible success you are discouraged the weight is coming back now. Oh how I wish I could reach inside your heart and soothe that one hurt place. More than anything it’s what I’d want this declaration of love to do. I have a secret to tell you. It never even occurred to me that you would keep the weight off this time. It’s so much harder to do that than anyone knows. It’s so hard to reach inside where it hurts and bring all that into the light of day so it can shift and change. The progress that you made though, was nothing short of extraordinary; it was more than I could have dreamed! It took and it will take enormous courage to continue. But here’s the thing and this is true. You’ve shown me that you have that courage. You show it every time you face a challenge that seems bigger than you can meet, and every time you do it you look stunningly beautiful. You are an absolutely beautiful woman and you will become what you already are each day you call out for Christ’s love to speak to you and shine through you. And if there is ever a day when you think Christ is speaking a little too quietly, or has maybe forgotten to be gracious to you, (the Psalmist felt that way – you won’t be alone), well then you can call me. I’m a preacher I’m paid to tell people what Jesus is saying. Really, they ordained me to do it and everything  :-). Let me give you a preview: he’ll be saying what I’m saying to you right now. I . . . love . . .  you.

Love to you from the Christ and me, Sam


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