Skoenlapper-konvetti herinner aan die hemelse bruilof

Ek voel vandag soos ‘n opregte bruid, nie dat ek weet hoe dit voel nie, maar kan myself as ‘n bruid voorstel.  Terwyl ek gaan rus soek vir my onrustige gemoed op ‘n naby geleë berg, met weer wat wil-wil dreig om swaar te word, en die wind wat my hare woes waai is my oë geopen om duisende wit skoenlappers soos konvetti om my te sien.  Deur die wind die berg opgedra het hulle stromend my begroet asof ek die een is wat die kerk uitstap, my bruidegom aan my sy.  Inderdaad was dit ook Hy wat my daarheen gelei het, en my as sy bruid kom herinner het waarom ek hier is.  Hy het my nie net kom herinner en troos dat die hemelse heerlikheid wat Hy bestem het ver oortref die huidige verdrukking en ongelukkigheid van hierdie wêreld nie, maar het ook die roeping en taak kom herbevestig.  Die taak nie net vir my as enkeling nie, maar juis aan ons wat sy roeping as kerk, as Christus se liggaam, moet voltooi. 

As kerk, die bruid en vrou van die Allerhoogste, word ons opgeroep om te wees: dienaars van Hom en vir ander, in geloof werksaam, in liefde vol arbeid, en in verdrukking vol hoop.  Hy kom skets ook ons karakter deur van ons te verwag om verander te word om barmhartig, lankmoedig, vol liefde, beskeie, en behulpsaam te wees (om net 'n paar te noem).  Hierdie is nie eise wat swaar op ons rus nie, veral wanneer ons dit as liefdestaal sien, maar bekoorlike woorde wat Hy van sy bruid vertel.  Dis nie iets wat ons in eie krag moet verrig soos take nie, maar ‘n identiteit wat ons in Christus gelei word om te kan word.  

God het ons reeds aan Hom verbind, die belofte is gemaak, en die bruilofsmaal is gereed.  Ons word geroep om die wit bruilofskleed aan te trek, die ou lewe en vuil klere uit te trek en deur Christus oordek te word met die kleed van heiligheid en volmaaktheid. Hoe wonderlik heerlik is die huwelik nie juis om ons te herinner daaraan dat ons God se bruid is nie.  Dat elke dag eintlik ‘n gereedmaak is vir die hemelse bruilofsfees nie.  Dat ons gereed moet staan, as wakende, strydende en werkende dissipels, in afwagting vir die hemelse Bruidegom om te kom.  En sy belofte – Hy kom gou.  Daarom, alhoewel ons sug saam met die skepping, roep ons gees, “Kom Here Jesus, ja, kom gou!”

Liberty found in the unconditional nature of true love

The devastating disillusionment of unrequited love is more than numbingly painful; it is downright torture for the soul.  Daring to love and taking the chance to be loved is for many the hardest part of taking a chance of living.   Life is indeed to know the One who loved in full and to share that love.  Sometimes we follow others with so much haste in order to be guided along the paths of uncertainty. Losing focus of the true Leader when looking to find security in the world we may never discovering the precious sights and sounds spread in our way or identifying, facing, and fighting the monsters hiding behind the bushes.  Mislead to think our own thoughts have no meaning, our own voices have no song, and our own dreams are not worth sharing, we never dare to live our own stories.  Daring to live means daring to be human, to live the life granted, to live in full.  The whole of the human nature is centred on love, it is our deepest longing.  Being grated someone to love is indeed a blessing, and one we all long, dream, and pray for.  Striking out to walk the road before us, we dare to desire what we short-sightedly believe to be granted for us to desire.  Yet, if that love is not returned, if indeed our love is unrequited, it may be devastating, heart wrenchingly painful, demoralizing even.  

Knowing we desire something not meant to be does not help the healing process, but realizing that we may be desiring a love predestined for someone else may give rise to thought.  Love is an act of communion. The deepest and most fulfilling communion possible is that which God has with his bride.  The love between a man and a woman is an embodiment of something of that love.  We may be experiencing glimpses of that love every day when realizing the amazing and unthinkable grace when we discover the unconditional love that God has for us.  Trying to come to grips with the depth, and height, and breadth of that love we may come to be freed from the petty, short-sighted, narrow-minded, self-righteous desire to receive a love which is not ours.  It becomes so insignificant a love in the light of the eternal, unconditional, all-encompassing true love of God, that is does not even make sense why it was even desired in the first place.  The joy though, is to know that the desire was sent from God, to be fulfilled by Him, at the time He sees fit, and with someone He deems worthy for you to be sharing your precious journey with.