Hovering

Recently, several friends of mine got engaged. Sure, I might be just a tiny bit jealous. But I am happy for them. An engagement is a major reason for celebration. But to be completely honest, it can be pretty obnoxious if you're just on the outside looking in at somebody else's happiness. It isn't uncommon for me to unfollow someone on Facebook (hide them from my Newsfeed) while they are engaged. Usually they stop throwing every tiny little milestone in your face a few months after the wedding. OK, YOU'RE IN LOVE! I GET IT!!

Please understand that I really do rejoice with dating/engaged/newlywed people. I also hope that you can understand that anyone on social media has the right to see/not see or post/not post whatever they want. (I'm sure any readers who have hidden my ranting status updates from their Newsfeed (or unfriended me altogether) can vouch for the fact that I can be pretty obnoxious, too.)

Years ago, long before social media went mainstream, I knew an engaged couple that was pretty much joined at the hip before they got married. While they were dating/engaged, they were inseparable, and they held hands constantly. After they got married, they were all over each other, right? Wrong. After the wedding, they would walk a couple of feet apart from each other and wouldn't even hold hands. As far as I know, they are still married today, and I don't think they had any marital problems at the beginning of their marriage. But it was like... so, you two finally got a room, and now it's all out of your system? What was up with all that anti-climatic stuff?

The purpose of my rant is to build up to an analogy, of course.

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)

"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." (Revelation 2:2-4)

Many years ago, I heard a guy preach a sermon about "first love." He said that when he was dating his wife, he was crazy about her. One time, he dropped to his knees in the middle of their high-school hallway, and he serenaded/belted out the song "You Are So Beautiful" to her, totally embarrassing her but totally expressing how he really felt. "That was first love!" he explained to us during his sermon. Years after they got married, he said that he would lazily lounge in their living room and groggily ask his wife to bring him something to drink. The romance was gone... perhaps very much in the same way that the "hot"ness is too quick to leave many of our relationships with Christ.

Speaking of preachers, I've noticed that many of them nowadays hate cats. I think this is unfortunate, because you can definitely learn a lot about God's character by observing felines. Anytime I hear a pastor or church teacher compare God to a feline, he/she has my attention. I mean, Jesus is the Lion of Judah, right?

I consider myself extremely blessed to own two extremely adorable cats who have taught me a lot about how God sees me, how He treats me, and how He wants me to treat Him.

For example, one thing that I've seen my cats do is hover. They don't just show up on your lap and neatly sit down like civilized humans. They hover. In fact, I decided to snap a computer photo of Choochie hovering over my arm while I was typing just now.

 

Why do felines do this? I'm not exactly sure, but I think -- as one observant pastor pointed out once -- it's because cats are territorial. I think perhaps felines hover as a way of claiming their territory before they finally settle into it...

...as Choochie did right before she finally settled in front of my computer.

This hovering characteristic of felines reminds me of Someone I know.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2)

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him..." (2 Chronicles 16:9a)

And, of course, there is a copycat loser who also tries to act like God.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

While I was trying to write this post, my cats competed for the snuggle territory near my lap.

 

Choochie won, of course.

Macho may be twice her size, but you can't deny a feisty little puma that spot between her mama's shoulders.

Regarding our relationship with God, different things in this world and in our lives come between Him and us, and they compete for our affections all the time. Jesus knew all about this.

"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." (Matthew 13:19-22)

From what I understand, an engagement can be a very critical, delicate time in a couple's relationship. The relationship can break up permanently during the engagement period. I've seen people's hearts get terribly broken during an engagement.

And yet -- contrary to that strange joined-at-the-hip couple that I mentioned previously -- an engagement can be a precious precursor to a wonderful marriage. Thankfully, I've seen couples become joined at the hip AFTER the wedding, which makes more sense to me.

Anytime anyone walks away from God, He hurts. And anytime anyone grows closer to Him as they stick by Him through the years, well... they become more like family to Him than ever before.

As for me, my relationship with God doesn't get "hot" when I try to be as distant from Him or as polite to Him as I can. It gets "hot" when I plunge into everything He has for me, when I throw myself at Him, when I believe that He is who He says He is... when I try to treat Him the way He wants me to treat Him, and when I let Him treat me the way He wants to treat me. Even if nobody else understands our relationship.

Thanksgiving was just a few days ago. As you probably know, I don't cook. (At least, not anymore.) I hate cooking. I hate spending time in the kitchen preparing the food, and I despise having to clean up for myself afterwards. I find no joy in taking an hour or more to cook something that only takes a few minutes to eat.

But I'm not like everybody else. Many people love cooking. They tremendously respect the culinary arts, and they take great delight in preparing food and, especially, in serving it to others and letting them enjoy it. For these cooks, the joy is in the preparation.

Before Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for us. I've heard pastors preach about how in many ways, we're engaged to Jesus. After all, we're the Bride of Christ, and one day in heaven, we the Bride will be presented to our Bridegroom. I think all of this stuff we've been going through on this earth has been preparation for living the rest of our lives with Jesus in heaven as His Bride. I think for Him, the joy is in the preparation.

But before the Lion of the tribe of Judah settles down with us in His rightful territory, I think He's going to hover. Which spot is rightfully His? Where are His affections wanted? Where is He welcome?

I think to a degree, we the Church need to fixate our affections on our First Love so obsessively and so thoroughly that the world will scream at us, OK, YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH GOD! WE GET IT!! Hopefully not in an obnoxious way -- hopefully in a way that the world will want what we have... that they will want to join us and let the King hover over them and settle with them as well.

Why stay on the outside looking in at somebody else's happiness? Come on. You know you want Him.