I'm a Sap for a Good Love Story

Take for example, my second oldest grandson, he and his girlfriend just had their one-year dating anniversary. They are the cutest couple and we have welcomed his sweet girlfriend into the family with open arms already. I keep thinking any day he'll pop "the question". I am starry eyed at their love for each other. The truth is I love hearing anyone's love story. That’s one of my “asks”, not just for table-talk, but I sincerely love hearing how couples met, fell in love, and married. While I love a good love-story movie, there is nothing like real life ones. Might I suggest that you give a widow or widower, and even couples you know, a real boost by requesting that they tell you their “story”! You’ll see a twinkle in their eyes when they start sharing. In fact, those fireplace embers just might be set ablaze again! My home is decorated for Christmas. I have just enough twinkling lights and memorabilia scattered throughout that transforms every-day vibes to a sweet Christmas vibes. In that atmosphere, I placed our photo adjacent to Mr. & Mrs. Snowman's, "True Love". It reminds me of our love story. Call me "sentimental" and you'd be right on.

But, better than our own love stories, is our love story when we fell in love with Jesus. I love hearing those stories of amazing grace. Stories where someone had done them wrong. They had been in some bad relationships. They were broken and lonely. But THEN, they had an encounter with Jesus – maybe because a friend introduced Him to them. Or, maybe, their pain drove them to a church or a Christian camp (my own story) or a Bible study or a simple, personal prayer. They heard about Jesus, God’s Son Who became man, Who walked on water, Who calmed the seas, Who healed the sick and raised the dead. They heard that He died for their sins, AND, how He was raised from the dead and lives today. They heard this scripture: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.” Suddenly, they had hope and everything started looking and feeling different. They fell in love with Jesus -- He Who doesn’t disappoint or hurt or leave them. He Who is kind and generous and forgiving. Then they met His family members who were welcoming and warm. And, the more time they hung out with those folks AND Jesus, the more they saw He’s a friend Who can be talked to about any and everything. He “gets them”. Then the day they said: “Yes, dear Jesus, I believe in You. I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. My hope is in you. You are my beloved and I am yours.” This IS my "Love Story" with Jesus. He is my everything. He never leaves me or forsakes me. I assure you, this could be your Love Story, too! The greatest story ever told is that LOVE STORY – the story about God’s Son who left the portals of heaven to become one of us, first, as a little baby, then grow up and set the pattern for loving and living and serving others, and then to ultimately die for us so that our Love Story lives on forever. The Bible tells us to "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever" Psalm 136:1. A "steadfast love" is unconditional and never changes -- no matter what! We're in this holiest of seasons and we hear that Love Story over and over again. How should we respond? We can respond like the shepherds did on that first Christmas night, and like the Wise Men when they arrived at their home. They worshiped Him. We can ask Him into our hearts for the first time or we can rekindle this romance as we lean in closer to Him and bow our lives to Him in adoration for Who He is and all He has done for us. We can fall in love with Him again and determine to keep the “flames” of that first love we had for Him burning as brightly as the star that announced His coming over 2,000 years ago. Indeed, it is the "Greatest Love Story Ever Told"!