A Love That Conquers All

In my past blog posts, I have talked about moments in my life that I see as God taking a two-by-four to my face. I had a similar moment a few weekends ago, but it was different then my other “Oh…whoa” moments. This one brought about a mixture of sadness and gratefulness.
Allow me to explain. A couple weekends ago, I was hanging out with some old friends and was introduced to a man full of life and excitement. However, as our conversation grew longer it turned to views of life and love. He began to explain his desire for a love that lasted, a love that would not betray, that would fulfill his desire to have a woman be his everything and to serve her with all his heart. He then revealed that his hope for this kind of love had all but vanished. After seeing the way men in society today look at and treat women, seeing the divorce rate climbing, and watching his past relationships fall apart, his hope for a greater love was now full of despair. He now felt inadequate to deserve a “love that conquers all”.
While listening to him it really began to hit me: this is what our society breeds, this despair and feeling of helplessness and inadequacy when it comes to love. I actually considered him one of the lucky ones, for being able to see what there was a problem with today’s view of love and the desire something more. The more I listened, the more I identified with the desires he was feeling, and the more I realized that these desires are placed on our heart on purpose. The desire for true, selfless love, for a love so great that it can complete our heart and the longing in our soul is what we were made for.  So I had to conclude that the desires themselves are not bad, it is when we seek total fulfillment of them in a single human person that we begin to miss the mark.
In the past I too searched for a love like this; one that would never leave, that would accept all the love I desired to pour out, and that would fulfill all the longings of my heart. I too searched in the world for this. And I too ended my search in despair, feeling everything I had given was for nothing and that this notion of “love” that you read about in books and see in movies is nothing more than the work of fiction we see it in. But for me, something changed. I got tired of searching, tired of fighting, and I surrendered to the one man who had been searching for me while I searched for others, who fought for me while I fought for those who never wanted my love in the first place. I surrendered and discovered that everything I had ever wanted, everything I had ever dreamed of and more was real. I understand this may sound sappy and when I tell you that the person who showed me all this was not only my love, but my creator, healer, counselor, friend, and God as well many eyes may roll. But something I have learned is that people can argue all day about whether they think God is real or not, but no one can argue with my testimony. No one can tell me that my new fulfillment, self worth, and love is an illusion. I still remember how it feels to be without it, and I know the difference I feel now. God filling my heart and making me whole is not a figment of my imagination. Christ picking me up from my brokenness and making me new is not what some may tag as part of a “feel good religion”, because it was hard. It was not exaggeration when I said that He fought for me. He fought for and kept pursuing my heart until I was tired of running and I finally surrendered my life to Him. And I have not looked back.
I cannot tell you how much it pains me to see others caught in the same hole I have known, to see them struggle with keeping up with the world’s standards while still trying to do what they know to be right, to search and search for this love their heart desires and only find more disappointment. It makes me want to show them that their search is not hopeless, that this love DOES exist; just not in the places they are looking. Yes, it is possible to love a person the way they desire, but it will never be enough until they are first filled with the love God desires to give them. Human love is made to be an imitation of Christ’s. We are called to love each other the way Christ loves us, but if we cannot make the connection then human love will not suffice. The only love that can heal our wounds, give us full strength, and allow us to love others in a pure whole way is the love that comes from God. Christ’s love is a love that lasts, a love that will not betray, that will fulfill our desire to be someone’s everything and to serve them with all our heart. That, and only that, is a love that can conquer all.
payday advance locations

*/