We are really excited about that; marriage is only increasing in beauty and awesomeness for us. We have learned so much about ourselves and (naturally) each other. I know both of us can say that we love each other even more today than we did on July 24. All I know is, I'm glad he's still my boyfriend and fellow nerd.
The past months have been incredibly full for us--and I mean that twofold; we have been up to so much, and we have been eagerly tasting the abundant life.
I am honestly amazed. The Lord is turning my heart upside down, and I'm not alone. It's happening to this whole city. The Bride in Athens is flourishing as she encounters the Father's heart. I haven't seen anything like it before. The past couple months alone have been marked by beholding the beauty of God and being completely transformed by it. We are learning that changing the world isn't about trying to correct human behavior; it's about the transformation that comes from being face-to-face with God and experiencing His character, His personality. So that's what we do. We lead people into that face-to-face moment. We speak His truth, His thoughts, and His feelings.
A couple of weeks ago I was leading a prophetic room with two other interns (husband included). This one girl came in and I'll never forget it, because you could just see her brokenness and, consequently, her deep longing to be affirmed. So we began to hear the Lord's heart for her and it was incredible. We could have told her, "Stop messing up," or "You know what you're doing is wrong," but that was not the fullness of the Father's heart. The fullness of His heart was that He had revolutionary hope for her and an extraordinary romance that nothing else could possibly provide. We began to speak Song of Songs over her, that even in her darkness God calls her lovely and beautiful, that he draws her with gentle cords. We began to speak that God wasn't okay with what had happened to her in the past, with the ways people had hurt her. We began to speak dreams over her, that she would receive back the things that had been taken from her. It was beautiful; and it was all true. Hope was all over her. I watched this beautiful girl begin to unfold. At first she would barely lift her head or look us in the eye. By the end of it she was less afraid.
I know it was only the beginning, but in those moments I realized our power as believers. That light IS more powerful than darkness, and it doesn't need to raise its voice to be heard. Jesus did not need to be loud (Isaiah 42:2 - "He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street").
And that's just a glimpse. I am touching the surface of Love. And once you touch the surface you are enthralled.
With each lovesick gaze we are unleashed.
And honestly, it is incredible to me that when we turn toward Him and listen and lay ourselves down before Him... we begin to hear His thoughts and feel His emotions. Excuse the punctuation... but seriously now?!?!?!!? This actually happens, every day.
I am convinced that without knowing Him, there is no way to truly live. And that is a truth I'd lay my life down for.
Other logistical things:
- Eric & I are contemplating what next year will look like for us. I'm planning on coming back to Wesley for a second year; Eric will probably be full-time at Best Buy, and he's pondering his place at Wesley for next year.
- I've booked two weddings (exciting!).
- As soon as I come up with a name, the photography thing is a go.
- I will experience my first time in the hospital delivery room (and with a camera) in less than two months with the Kirklands.
- We have some other dreams up our sleeve. More to come.
