The faith of my girlfriend

My girlfriend makes me happy often. She does this through various means communicated at various times. One of the ways is the admiration created in me as I have gotten to know, to understand, and to explore another mind.

A mind similar to mine, yet so different, shaped by different circumstances and from different genetics. It's exhilarating to think I have the privilege to specially commune with another person with a mind of their own. When they think, their voice sounds in their head. How strange.

As I have gotten to know her, one of the ways she's made me happy is by observing the way she lives out her faith. Now, forgive me for being so cliche and so religious and so sentimental, but there is a beauty I see and an appreciation I have developed as I begin to understand why she worships this way, why that moment in her life is an altar, where her Ebenezers lie, how she traces the hand of God in her present life, how she studies the Scriptures, and the manner in which she wrestles with the Spirit. Hearing her pray.

The truth is that it is impossible for me to know about the faith of everyone in this manner, but to have one person where such an opportunity is present is much more than enough.

So she makes me happy. And as the type of Seventh-day Adventist who loves to take a spiritual beating or as my good friend Matt Minikus would call it, get slain, I have a deep appreciation for Jacqueline Burciaga as I hear her testify of what she believes about God and how He acts in her life.

It challenges me to plead for discernment, for eyes to see the spiritual dimension surrounding the armies of the Assyrians, for I know I am blind. See, I am the kind of person, the kind of Christian who would like to be thought of as having an 'Intellectual Faith.' (Whatever that means) Yet, as I fellowship with Jacqueline and with other loved ones, I begin to wonder if this supposed intelligent faith label gives me too much license to doubt the plain teachings of Scripture. Let's be honest, the Bible doesn't demand stupidity from its followers, but it does communicate that a more appropriate posture in life is one of a child with wide eyes and open hands willing to be taught by the Everlasting Father.

So I observe her and I watch her and I respect her and she shares so much to me that challenges which causes me to consider whether I am allowing a blindness to set in; because at some point, may be I am not being intellectual at all, once again whatever that means, but simply being a hardhearted unbeliever who needs Jesus to heal the blindness, and so I am delighted in the courage of Jacqueline to stand beside her Seventh-day Adventism while working her 8-3pm job in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip malls and hotels.

As I enter this Sabbath, I thank God for the faith of my girlfriend for it blesses me, I confess I am blind and my eyes don't see everything, and I cry out, "Son of David, don't pass me by."

So He makes me happy for He has communicated to me in various ways at various points in my life and the faith of my girlfriend is one of them. And that I can see quite well.

A celebration, why not?

On this Valentine’s day, a common time yet an uncommon emphasis.

We need more romance songs not ending in a scene of fornication.

I only wish I could help ghostwrite some.

Sadly, my music gene decided to never express itself.

Never, in the Hebrew sense, for I trust in the age to come, voices will ring and mine will be among them.

And on that day, perhaps my celebration of love will be fuller, not just limited to words.

You know, traveling with two married couples as part of Songs of Ascent, I thought I would be uncomfortable or awkward being the fifth wheel. However, this has not been the case. I watch cute idiosyncrasies of their romantic story, I watch the way they smile in pride, I watch the familiarity and peace, I watch and I rejoice. My heart is made glad, I am overwhelmed with excitement to see true love, the kind Corinthians 13 describes, in action.  And yes, perhaps it is unfortunate to have no one to share a meal with when we hit up a restaurant, but oh how fortunate it is to dwell in the sacredness of matrimony.

So many people rag on Valentine’s day. I see no honor in that.

It is an easy target, a large center with a soft underbelly.

May be we should seek to rejoice and celebrate love, to hold it up in awe and reverence.

Solomon wrote a song about it and God liked it enough to canonize it. Let us celebrate those who have done it right, those who are seeking to do it right, those whose marriages and romantic stories reflect the Bride and the oh-so-dashing Groom.

In a world full of affairs, adultery, incest, pedophilia, rape, and fornication, we need more  celebration of other-centered love.

Yes, it is just another common day, but why not seize it for an uncommon emphasis?