We Belong Together

Ah, February! The month of love. Valentine sappiness abounds. I'm not really one to buy into all of that. I shrug off the usual fare of the holiday in favor of the normal. I'm not much of a crowd follower and I don't like being the giver or recipient of forced romance. Love is a choice. Is it really romantic when the expectation of it is so high? Is love really love when it's required? 

I guess what I really like is the unexpected. The more spontaneous. The love that makes no sense whatsoever. The vulnerability of love with a risk and cost beyond the wallet. That kind of love is compelling! It gets my attention. It stands out from the crowd of pink and red confectioner conversations. (I say all of this with a smirk because I'm brushing glittery pink sprinkles off my shirt from my heart-shaped sugar cookie.)

The Bible talks a lot about love. God's love, and the love Christianity should reflect, is compelling. We're likely all familiar with the way 1 Corinthians 13 defines it: love is patient, Love is kind. We've likely heard that God defines himself as love. We are commanded to love others the way he loves us. 

Whoa. Commanded? That's not me. What is love if it's commanded? Exactly what is He commanding from me? How does he love me? The imagery of the Bible is masterful. 1 Peter 2:9 says I'm chosen. I'm His chosen possession. That's powerful. I'm His Bride! I'm pure, clean, beautiful, and treasured in His eyes. He has loved me since before anything existed. He knows my faults and sees past them. He sees everyone this way. He sees the Church this way. I have to see others this way because of the overflow. Because he lives in me. Because His kingdom is far beyond me, you, us, your church, my church...it's HIS CHURCH! WE are His chosen possession. WE are his Bride.

At the risk of cray levels of corniness, I'll borrow from Pat Benetar here, because, well...PAT BENETAR. Just go with it. It works.

Love doesn't have to be a battlefield. I understand why it is though. We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong. Searchin' our hearts for so long. Both of us knowing. Love is a battlefield.

I really feel like we'd be better off if we realized that We Belong to Him. 

Many times I tried to tell you

Many times I cried alone
Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don't want to leave you really
I've invested too much time to give you up that easy
To the doubts that complicate your mind

We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better
We belong, we belong, we belong together

That's ridiculous love. Unexpected. Compelling! I want that.