When I worked as a teacher and in retail, there were times my husband gallantly showered my car with flowers or popped into the shop with a bouquet and sweet letter.
Without fail, from the roots of my hair down to my toes, I would turn crimson, my hands would shake like a middle school child before a big presentation. Not because I was ashamed, but because the surprise, thoughtfulness, and overwhelming tenderness never failed to amaze me.
He’s a busy guy— I know that, and yet he deemed that this extra show of love was worth it. Wow!
He would give me a hug, kiss the top of my head, and then depart and go about the rest of his day. Hence, leaving me to take in the warm joy of knowing that I was worth seeking out and pursuing even in the post-dating-days.
Those actions did not just shower me with joy, but they also moved any bystander.
I think because on some deep, hidden level, we all crave cherishing.
As little girls, we desire to be our father’s little princess, and as we grow, we still desire cherishing. We want to find that Knight who’s going to say, “Yes, you are worth fighting for, worth cherishing, and I delight in you.” We want someone to come in on a white horse and do something extra special just for us.
One thing is for certain, our hearts crave an intense kind of loving, fulfillment, and intimacy. The kind that actually can’t possibly be fulfilled by any human. This is one of those harsh realities because it often leaves us in disappointment. But that’s because our hearts were made for God. And only God can fulfill such an infinite longing.
The sweetest, most incredible relationships will crumble when we lose sight that first and foremost, God is our beloved.
Thankfully, God is not a far off and abstract kind of Lover; He’s the best. He is constantly seeking you out, pursuing you, and performing great acts of love for you. I think we’ve just forgotten to take note of the bouquets that He constantly sends us.
For example, have you ever walked outside and noticed some beautiful sight? Maybe it’s the sunset, maybe it’s a cluster of flowers on the side of the road, but whatever it is, you smile at the picture.
Since the beginning of time, God knew you would encounter that image, and He knew it would make you smile.
He knew it would fill you with delight. That encounter was no accident. He sends you bouquets of love all the time by constantly revealing to you His endless grandeur and beauty.
In all things, God constantly is with us. Talk about intimacy! But sometimes we focus more on the horizontal things of the world rather than taking into consideration that we are in the presence of God.
It’s true we are called to live in the world, but as Malcolm Muggeridge once said, we must have one foot in the city of man, but our eyes must be fixed on the City of God. If we simply use two—five minutes of our day to pause without distraction and contemplate that we are in God’s presence, that old ache of wanting to be cherished will start to ease, for the One that can fulfill us is with us.
Let God romance you. He is pursuing you right now.
When God is our primary Beloved, we start to see how, through each moment of the day, He is seeking us out as a most ardent lover. But we need to stop rejecting His bouquets.
Furthermore, when we accept God’s love and understand our relationship with Him is the ultimate one, we are not only satisfied, but we are filled up with His love and are able to better love those around us.
Next time you encounter a beautiful sunset or snowfall— or anything that is sweet and worth delighting in— pause and thank God for sending you a precious nosegay of love. A bouquet He has prepared for you since the beginning of time.
