“It’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me… everyday.”
― Noah (Ryan Gosling) to Allie (Rachel McAdams) The Notebook
Picture source
“Don’t forget I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
—Anna (Julia Roberts) to William (Hugh Grant) in Notting Hill“No matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.”—Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) to Cora (Madeleine Stowe) in Last of the Mohicans
Ahhh romantic movies. I’m such a sucker for them. And I’m not alone! Romantic comedies earned an average of $111 million EACH last year! (source)
We love romance. It’s as if it’s part of our DNA.
Hmmmm….
There is an incompleteness that makes us long for these perfect
you-and-me-together-forever type of relationships. As if part of us is missing without being the peanut to someone’s peanut butter.
How many of you swooned when Jerry McGuire told his wife “you complete me”
Every woman, whether they admit it or not, so desperately longs for her heart to be romanced. For a man to tell her she is worth fighting for and for him to stop at nothing to win her over.
There is an emptiness, an ache within us where we long for this knight in shining armor to sweep us off our feet. The only problem is we are looking for this fulfillment from another sinful human being.
A marriage can compliment you yes, and who you marry is no doubt one of the most important decisions you can make. But a guy can simply not fulfill everything a woman’s heart longs for.
This ache within us to be romanced is actually formed in everywoman ON PURPOSE, to draw us back to the one who has been after our hearts from the very beginning of time.
The book of Hosea is such a beautiful love story that is insanely applicable today. It is about a man called to marry a prostitute.
TIME OUT
Can you imagine how that conversation with God was like?
God: “Hosea you are such a honorable man, you seek me with all your heart and you are true to your word….I would like you to marry a prostitute….don’t worry it will have meaning”
Hosea: “Ummmm, I was thinking maybe I could marry a nice girl and have a sweet little family, could we try that instead?”
But God there’s that whole “God is God and Hosea is not” thing so It looks like God won out on that. But thank goodness because we are left with this truly captivating story that knocks me to my core every time I read it.
Gomer (yes it’s an unfortunate name) has this rock like, dependable, strong and trustworthy husband. But she tells herself he isn’t enough and mostly that she isn’t enough to deserve this kind of relentless undeserving love. She is beautiful but she doesn’t see it. She is worth him fighting for but she tells herself she doesn’t deserve it. She keeps leaving him to pursue what is familiar to her, what she told her self she deserves. And he keeps going to fight and even buy her back to be his wife.
Don’t miss how huge this is. She is leaving the one true faithful and loving man in her life and giving herself back to men who use her and discard her. It’s sounds crazy…but it’s really not any different than today.
The whole story is a picture of God’s unrestricted, unequivocal, determinate and Jealous love for us. His heart breaks and gets angry when we give our hearts to lesser things.
Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes;
I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
Hosea 2: 6-7
Just like a prince fighting for his fair maiden he will do anything in his power to win her over to himself. The words in the scripture below would make more hearts flutter on the big screen than anything Leonardo Dicaprio every thought about saying from the bow of the titanic.
She decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,”
declares the Lord.“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:13-14
Grab a tissue
“You can live unafraid in peace and safety.
I will make you my wife forever,
showing you righteousness and justice,
unfailing love and compassion.
I will be faithful to you and make you mine,
and you will finally know me as the Lord.“Hosea 2:19-20
Oh you guys it just gets me ya know! I mean I am so that girl “prostituting myself” with a busy schedule, a worried mind, and lots of “good things” that are not usually the BEST thing.
A hunger for romance and to be desired is written all over the face of our thirst for money, status, and failed relationship after failed relationship. And I totally get it! I was the girl in college who thought a boyfriend is what I needed to be complete and I am still that girl today telling myself I am too “busy” to invest my everything into the one true source of all my tomorrows.
Lord help us to fall in love with YOU all over again. The true romancer of our soul. It was and will always be only Jesus, my true love, my true romancer. The one who knows my every flaw and died for me anyway.
He is always looking to romance us, we just have to listen and notice. How has Jesus romanced you lately?