My grandparents lived in my college town long before I became a student. They made sure that I knew their house was my home. Even though they’ve gone on to their new eternal home, being back in that town still feels like home.
Wandering from street to street wakes up sweet memories. Traveling just a few blocks from campus leads me back to my old college apartment. Memories of roommates and cramped quarters remind me that it doesn’t take a palace to make a place in this world. Best of all, it reminds me of that first kiss from the man who would one month later invite me to spend the rest of my life with him. Meeting Ron in that special town was the icing on the cake, the crème de la crème, the cherry on top, the … well, you get the idea.
We still had one year of college left when we married. As any married college student will tell you, mixing weary college life with fresh married life can be challenging at times. But for the most part, life was simple for us – and life was good. We couldn’t get enough of each other. We didn’t have to work hard to maintain that first love feeling. We believed in love, and we believed in each other. We believed God would carry us through any rough spots – and He has!
No matter your marital status or circumstances, the good life is possible when you not only believe “in” God, but you also simply believe Him. It’s Satan who thrives on making things complicated. He is the author of confusion. He writes scenes God never meant for us to read, much less incorporate into our own individual stories. Satan wants us to stall our maturity at just believing God exists. Even his demons believe that and shudder! (James 2:19) God, on the other hand, wants us to believe Him when He says,
“I love you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
“‘Though the mountains move and the hills shake, my love will not be removed from you and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says your compassionate Lord.” (Isaiah 54:10)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27a)
“Nothing can ever separate [you] from [My] love.” (Romans 8:38a)
I recently told my oldest granddaughter what I told my daughter long ago, “When it comes to deciding who you will marry, NEVER settle!” I wish someone had told me decades ago, “When it comes to deciding what to believe about God, NEVER settle for less than what He’s promised!
It’s taken me a long while, but now I don’t just believe “in” God. Like Abraham, I believe Him, and I know He has credited that to my account. (Genesis 15:6) Consistently and confidently believing Him changes EVERYTHING! I firmly believe all His promises are true because I’ve seen what He can do. I know firsthand how far He will go to heal the brokenhearted. I can’t get enough of Him. I no longer have to work on maintaining that first love feeling. Time in worship expresses my overwhelming love for Him as I receive His love for me. Obedience is simply an expression of my faith and thankfulness. I pray for others to know that He is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He can do. If you haven’t yet recognized the incredible things God has done for you, just ask Him to show you, and He will!
One of these days I’ll travel to my grandparents’ new home. Jesus and I will greet one another with a huge holy hug and I will hear Him say, “Well done. Come on in!” I imagine my mom and her parents standing close by patiently waiting to share a hug. Then, I imagine seeing my other grandparents running down those shimmering streets, waving all the way, and shouting, “Welcome home!”
“But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)
