Second Anniversary

I found my 2nd anniversary reflection tonight, and since my heart has yet to put into words how it feels about celebrating three years of walking with and towards Him, posting last year's "love letter" will have to do for now:

Once upon a time, not too long ago, a friend of mine cut a deal with a guy I was “in like” with. The challenge: that he get me to quit smoking. Obviously, I was more “in like” with myself than with him, so I laughed it off and told him that if he couldn’t stand the smoke, he’d better get out of the kitchen! Another friend likewise predicted that the one way to tell that I was finally and seriously in love with someone is if I gave up all my bad habits for that person. However, my philosophy was always that if that person really loved me, he’d take me as I am, without trying to change me one bit.

And, one day, two years ago, I met just that Person. You know Him pretty well yourself, and I bet you fell finally and seriously in love with Him too.

He’s the only one who loved us when we were most unlovely. He’s the only one who truly put up with our bad habits, our sinful lifestyles, our ugly attitudes. He loved us until it hurt - until He hurt. He loves us still, despite our flaws and our weaknesses, despite the most unattractive trait about us that no one could ever make us change.

But the beautiful thing is that once we start to love Him back, and as we grow in love with Him, we actually start to change. Not because He forces us to, like a jealous lover trying to conform his beloved to his ideal, but because we ourselves want to be as beautiful as we possibly can for Him. We change because we love our Beloved, and want to show Him this love if only to respond ever so humbly to the immensity of His own unfathomable love for us. And as we change, we find ourselves growing even more in love with Him – I like to call it “rising in love” rather than “falling in love.” One thing I’ve noticed in my two short years in this relationship is that as we continue to grow in love with Him, so too do we become less and less the unlovely, disobedient creatures we once were and more and more like our Beloved as we learn to tune in to His heartbeat and dance to the rhythm of His will.

Happy Second Anniversary to my fellow R2D1 beloved, who have so magnificently and beautifully blossomed in our Father’s love over the last two years. One of the greatest gifts the Master has blessed me with is the wonderful company with whom I am privileged to walk this Walk with. May we all approach His throne together one day, and be able to finally rest in the joyful homecoming embrace of the One we call Father and King.

2 June 2004

Happy Third Anniversary in advance, my R2D1 beloved - I love you still, and I always will: Jinggay, Jason, Ryan baby bro, Clairebear, Lynette, Mightor, Mia B, Armi, Buddy, and Rae. This, I sense, is the love song He's singing to us this year - He would do anything, and He gave up everything, just to be with us for all time:

Love Song
Third Day

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves
How many times has he broken that promise
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain
But I walked the hill of calvary

Just to be with you, I'll do anything
There's no price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I'll give anything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
All of those dreams are an empty emotion
It can never be done
I've never swam the deepest ocean
But I walked upon the raging sea

I know that you don't understand
the fullness of My love
How I died upon the cross for your sins
And I know that you don't realize
how much that I gave you
But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.