Cinderella danced with her prince and they fell in love.
In rare, fun, and exhilarating moments we dance together in the kitchen. Other, more frequent times, we snuggle up on the couch or give each other a wispy, passing kiss and a quick "I love you", a "good-bye" or a "hello".
There are moments when he makes me belly-laugh. We laugh with each other until my stomach aches. There are other moments he makes me annoyed and frustrated. There are moments he makes me cry and I am confused by him. Other moments, week in and week out, we talk a lot. We share our hearts... what we are feeling, what God is teaching us, what we hope for, what we are annoyed by, what we think...
But, honestly much of the time, we just say "good-morning" to each other and then chat about the tasks of the day. We talk about the piano lessons, the dinner plans, the team meeting and the schedule. We discuss how we can help each other and what needs to be done next week... who does he need to call, what do I need to do. We just talk about our day, our next week, and yesterday's "debrief"... what we did, what we forgot to do and who we interacted with. This is what my relationship with my husband looks like day-in and day-out. And, I love it.
My husband is my friend. He is my roommate, my playmate. He is my co-worker and co-journeyer. He is my confidant, my companion, my listening ear, and my defender. He is my comedian and my entertainment. He is my warmth and my hug. He is my coach and my leader. He is my partner and my lover.
Scripture tells us that our marriages are to be a picture of our relationship with Christ. Marriage is used so often to illustrate what a real relationship with God might look like. We have a picture every day of what God wants, expects and offers us in Himself. He offers us a marriage.
Without those sweet savoring moments of dancing, snuggling, and romance my relationship with my husband would be lacking significantly. And, so it is true in my relationship with God. I must seek Him in worship and long for those moments of closeness.
But, in the same way that I can't assume that "dancing in the kitchen" will be the norm for my marriage, so I don't expect those mountain high experiences with God each moment of every day. No! I think that God wants, and expects, instead a wispy kiss, a "hello" and a chat about my day. I think He offers me a listening ear and a wise word about my feelings, my frustrations, my plans and my confusions. He offers His leadership, His partnership and His friendship to me. My Father offers me a place to share my real thoughts, my real emotions and my real questions. And, just as I am confused by my husband at times and even question his love for me sometimes... so, is the case of this real relationship I have with God. I am confused by Him, at times and at times I get my feelings hurt by Him.
What my Lord offers me is real relationship with Him. He offers to be my friend, my roommate, and my confidant. Moment by moment I can be with Him, talking to Him about my day, the dinner plans and piano lessons. I believe this is what He wants with His people.
My Father in Heaven wants to dance with me in special moments... and in those moments I fall in love with Him again. But, "happily ever after" looks like those wonderfully mundane moments that make real life and real relationships.