The Betrothed

My wonderful wife Kim wanted to share this:

"Suppose, brethern, a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for her... Certainly, let her love his gift: but if she should say, " The ring is enough, I do not want to see his face again" what would we say of her? The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he himself may be loved. God, then, has given you all these things. Love Him who made them."

Augustine

Hey guys, I recieved this poem a while ago, but I was just now inspired to write about it. When I first read it, it impacted me greatly because it was a great picture of what was happening in my life. God had provided me with a great husband, cute apartment, and all that I needed. I found myself putting my identity in my husband and consumed by how I could make my apartment look better..Now those things in my life were not bad...In fact they were great gifts from God... Yet they became my focus and God was not. I was more in love with God's creation, rather than God Himself. I thank God that He opened my eyes to this. The prayer of my heart is to constantly remember God as my "Betrothed." Dear friends, let us have the heavenly perspective that God desires us to have.. He is coming soon!.. And now I'd like to leave an awesome closing poem for you guys...

"The enjoyment of (God) is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accomodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean."

John Edwards