I've been thinking about my title phrase a lot lately.
As my Lanny Love and I have grown
in our love for one another,
he has become a permanent fixture in my heart.
But being in one another's hearts
is not the same as being in one another's lives.
The two usually go hand-in-hand
with life involvement increasing
as love does,
but not always.
Not if one or the other chooses to keep a part of their life
separated from the one they love,
or chooses not to become a part of the other's life
outside of "just the two of us" relationship.
Unfortunately, lack of life involvement
usually indicates lack of commitment
or readiness for a real relationship
and will eventually kill it.
So, when we first "met"
we read about each other through
profiles and daily emails.
Eventually, we met in person,
exchanged phone numbers,
And began texting each day.
One week later, we had dinner together again.
More daily texts,
some phone calls,
lunch in the middle of the week,
longer, more frequent dates,
lunch with the kids,
well, you get it.
the natural desire to see more of each other,
become more a part of each other's lives
as love increases.
It is a danger signal,
relationship growth stops,
if one or both begin to pull back
or stay at status quo for too long.
If one is shut out
of keys aspects of the other's life,
or refuses to become a part of their life,
the relationship stagnates and,
while the love,
though at some point changed,
goes on,
the relationship will eventually die.
Finally, here is where i am going with this.
It is the same with God!
In the beginning is the excitement,
the desire to know Him,
spend time learning Him through His "profile",
the Bible,
talk to Him about the details of our lives.
We talk about Him some to others,
we begin to assimilate Him into our lives.
We want to spend time with Him,
we want to share our hurts and disappointments,
we thank Him for our joys and successes.
And it's wonderful!
But then He asks to go to that place.
You know the one.
Yes, that one.
That one where you allow no one
or only certain people!
That one where you know.
If you let Him in there,
nothing will ever be the same.
It will change your life.
It will change your relationship with him.
And you tell him "no, not there, not yet."
And you back off.
Suddenly, you aren't spending as much time with Him.
Suddenly, you find that you have other areas that are yours alone,
areas you don't want to share with Him,
areas you don't want touched by His presence.
You don't take Him there.
And you don't take that area to Him.
Oh, He is still in your heart.
You still love Him.
You still want a relationship with Him.
You just don't want it to be all encompassing.
You just don't want it to affect those areas.
And there it is.
You have two separate lives.
The God life where you love and serve Him.
And the other life that you keep Him away from.
And just like in human relationships that are shallow,
your relationship with Him begins to suffer.
You no longer feel as close to Him.
He is not your priority,
that other place has taken over.
A friend posted a wise saying on Facebook recently.
"How do you spell love?
T - I - M - E!
Spending time together."
If you are not spending time with Him,
if you are shutting Him out of key aspects of your life,
He will be the gentleman He always is
and will not go where He is not wanted.
But your relationship will suffer.
It will eventually die.
And it will be your choice.
So where are you not allowing God in your life?
Is it at work?
At school?
In a human relationship?
Is it an attitude?
Is it an emotion?
Where is it?
Where is He asking you to come that you don't want to go?
Is it church?
Is it a ministry?
Where?
Is it worth your relationship with Him?
Make the choice!
Let Him into your life,
not just your heart!
Let Him take you into His life for you!
Let the whole world see!
Let them know you love Him!
That you are His!
That He is yours!
Let Him into your life,
not just into your heart,
and see what happens to your relationship!
As my Lanny Love and I have grown
in our love for one another,
he has become a permanent fixture in my heart.
But being in one another's hearts
is not the same as being in one another's lives.
The two usually go hand-in-hand
with life involvement increasing
as love does,
but not always.
Not if one or the other chooses to keep a part of their life
separated from the one they love,
or chooses not to become a part of the other's life
outside of "just the two of us" relationship.
Unfortunately, lack of life involvement
usually indicates lack of commitment
or readiness for a real relationship
and will eventually kill it.
So, when we first "met"
we read about each other through
profiles and daily emails.
Eventually, we met in person,
exchanged phone numbers,
And began texting each day.
One week later, we had dinner together again.
More daily texts,
some phone calls,
lunch in the middle of the week,
longer, more frequent dates,
lunch with the kids,
well, you get it.
the natural desire to see more of each other,
become more a part of each other's lives
as love increases.
It is a danger signal,
relationship growth stops,
if one or both begin to pull back
or stay at status quo for too long.
If one is shut out
of keys aspects of the other's life,
or refuses to become a part of their life,
the relationship stagnates and,
while the love,
though at some point changed,
goes on,
the relationship will eventually die.
It is the same with God!
In the beginning is the excitement,
the desire to know Him,
spend time learning Him through His "profile",
the Bible,
talk to Him about the details of our lives.
We talk about Him some to others,
we begin to assimilate Him into our lives.
We want to spend time with Him,
we want to share our hurts and disappointments,
we thank Him for our joys and successes.
And it's wonderful!
But then He asks to go to that place.
You know the one.
Yes, that one.
That one where you allow no one
or only certain people!
That one where you know.
If you let Him in there,
nothing will ever be the same.
It will change your life.
It will change your relationship with him.
And you tell him "no, not there, not yet."
And you back off.
Suddenly, you aren't spending as much time with Him.
Suddenly, you find that you have other areas that are yours alone,
areas you don't want to share with Him,
areas you don't want touched by His presence.
You don't take Him there.
And you don't take that area to Him.
Oh, He is still in your heart.
You still love Him.
You still want a relationship with Him.
You just don't want it to be all encompassing.
You just don't want it to affect those areas.
And there it is.
You have two separate lives.
The God life where you love and serve Him.
And the other life that you keep Him away from.
And just like in human relationships that are shallow,
your relationship with Him begins to suffer.
You no longer feel as close to Him.
He is not your priority,
that other place has taken over.
A friend posted a wise saying on Facebook recently.
"How do you spell love?
T - I - M - E!
Spending time together."
If you are not spending time with Him,
if you are shutting Him out of key aspects of your life,
He will be the gentleman He always is
and will not go where He is not wanted.
But your relationship will suffer.
It will eventually die.
And it will be your choice.
So where are you not allowing God in your life?
Is it at work?
At school?
In a human relationship?
Is it an attitude?
Is it an emotion?
Where is it?
Where is He asking you to come that you don't want to go?
Is it church?
Is it a ministry?
Where?
Is it worth your relationship with Him?
Make the choice!
Let Him into your life,
not just your heart!
Let Him take you into His life for you!
Let the whole world see!
Let them know you love Him!
That you are His!
That He is yours!
Let Him into your life,
not just into your heart,
and see what happens to your relationship!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him,
and He helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise Him.
~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~
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