there are two types of people in the world... those who love the movie moulin rouge and “got” it on a deep philosophical level. and those who HATE moulin rouge (most likely because of that deep philosophical level and their own issues from childhood dealing with a bad experience at a circus).
i happen to be in the first camp. despite a deep dislike and distrust of clowns.
if you haven’t seen the movie (and WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?) it is the story of a prostitute and the man (christian) who falls in love with her. he sings that love over her until she believes that he truly loves her. i think i may have heard that story told about a thousand ways in a thousand different voices and it always resonates.
i especially like this quote that christian says in moulin rouge... “the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
i hear another voice saying the same thing. His name was a shorter version of Christian. and he says it to a woman who has a past also...
Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.
i want that quote on my tombstone. scratch that. i want that inscribed on my heart. on everything i do. every breath i take. every word that comes out of my mouth. every thought that i think coming from a place where i KNOW that my many sins are forgiven and that enables me to love much. and to feel loved.
i think for me it is easier to LOVE MUCH than to be loved in return. but the past few weeks have found me being loved much. i have an extended, far reaching, and loving family (my most faithful blog reader who happens to be my sister-in-law called yesterday just to tell me how much she loves me and is praying for me. i think she might be just buttering me up so that i take lots of photos of my adorable nieces when they come to town in a few weeks, but since i was going to do that anyway she may have purer motives than i give her credit for).
i have friends who have stuck with me through thick and thin. mostly thick. and when my faith is thin, theirs is thick.
i have a Bible study group of some of the most precious saints that live and breathe on this earth. they show me what it means to have a long walk of obedience in the same direction. they show me lives of faithfulness. not perfection. some have heavy hearts over things in their lives, but they all know that God is sovereign over all. and they know the power of prayer.
i have an incredible church family. some older wiser friends who have known me since i was a baby (which was only a scant few years ago). some younger (and yes somehow still wiser) friends who i taught and now teach me things.
i have some of the wisest Godliest friends in the world. i don’t know how i find these people. i suspect that Someone else finds them and brings them into my life to prove how much He loves me. and to show me the Truth when i am not seeing so clearly. one of those friends is in the photo. we were at an early saturday morning soccer game (she was in town to see two of her siblings graduate and two of her siblings play soccer with rosie). please note that we are dressed very similar. our love for the Lord. laughter, and lands end holds our friendship together. she and her mom are so precious to me. they are one of the best things that ever happened to me in tallahassee.
i hope that everyday finds me loving more. loving God more. loving others more. and being able to be loved in return more.
here is your song for today...
how He loves us.