This post is based upon my #JoyDare No. 4400 from February 14th of 2016.
The LOML & I have been friends for nearly
35 years. For many years, he was the "annoying little brother" of my good friend, Tammy. He was across the table from me at many family holiday dinners, since his family had adopted me as a member because I had no immediate family in south Florida at that time. He was a regular in our "church friends group" which went to the beach on a frequent basis. Some of us surfed & some of us sunned. He had long hair, an earring, a dry wit, a sharp mind & an outlook on life of adventure. We were nothing alike... I thought.
When we finally turned the corner from just friends to something more it took me by surprise and it changed my life forever. In the decades we've been friends, he's seen me at my very lowest, my worst, my most vulnerable. He's seen me in my most embarrassing moments and in my most joyful moments. He's seen my good side. He's seen my bad side. We have traveled the road of life together with all the twists and turns. We often don't agree on things. But, we find ways to come to agreement.
With him, I am KNOWN. He knows that a bag of peanut m&m's means more to me on our anniversary than a fancy box of chocolates. He knows that I will be thrilled to receive a new paper shredder for Christmas when the other one dies. He knows that sitting by him in my PJ's watching a movie on Netflix means more to me than going out to see a movie (well, 99% of the time). He knows my number one destination is sandy, hot & sunny... with aqua-blue water lapping at my feet. He knows that I get crazy when I'm in a crowd of people. He knows that in the winter I do NOT want to leave my home - except for walkabouts, Sunday church with him & the girls and an occasional date at our favorite restaurant, Bonge's Tavern. He knows that getting me a 1400-pound capacity, heavy duty dump cart is the perfect Valentine's gift! The list goes on & on.
After he assembled my awesome new dump cart on Valentine's Day, I gave him a huge hug & kiss and said, "I absolutely LOVE my Valentine's Day present Honey!!" His reply, "I know my woman!" With him, I am KNOWN... and I am loved. What happiness, safety & security I feel in that knowledge. What inspiration & motivation I have to be the best me I can be from those feelings.
Even more than being known and loved by the LOML (aka my spouse), I am known & loved by my creator -- the Creator of the Universe... and SO ARE YOU!
“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalms 139:1-18 NLT
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really good post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise :) It was one of those posts that just flew off my fingers in no time -- which doesn't happen all the time!!
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