Perfect Love.

We know what we want. Many of us make lists of characteristics, many daydream, but all aspire for the ideal form of our mate who is floating somewhere in the ethereal land of men and women. There is a Mr. Right and a corresponding figure for us strapping young lads. Why do we compromise? Women, you deserve so much more than we give you, and many times more than you settle for. All men are not self-centered and morally invasive, there are boys in this world who are waiting for the women who wants a real man. One who is worth the wait. What have we become? The sense of intimacy in relationships now corresponds with the emotions that our loved one evokes. Sure, by no means is emotion bad or always deceitful. It is, however, the source of the many problems with our society's dating culture. Do you wonder why so many high school relationships fizzle out like a dimming sparkler on the 4th? It is due to emotion. One or two people have said that they love the emotions in a relationship, and rightly they should, because that is what God has planned for marriage! The emotional upwellings within high school relationships are but small windows into the emotional connection within marriage. When we experience a watered down form of this emotion, we are just playing in the bathtub. The water is nice and warm, and it is nice-that is until you have to get out. Until you have to go back into the cool air of your house. What we are missing out on is like the ocean. We could wait, and then go to the beach. There there is no bathtub-there is the vast, blue expanse of sparkling laughter.

The ocean to me is always smiling. Sunsets at the coast are glorious, and being at the beach brings me joy, and I know that Jesus looks out in wonder at the same majestic scenes. God knows how we need emotional satisfaction, but he wants us to wait for the final act. Each interaction that we have with someone leaves a small piece of us with them. It is like we are each a composition of light, and as we are with someone, the lights dance and swirl together as the two beings are united in a unified state of being. This could be a simply hello, but God has created each of us with our unique essence, and as we divulge more and more of that to people throughout our life, we are giving out light. In a dating relationship, we are pouring out light. Two "lovers" often share their deepest desires, their highest aspirations, and their most vulnerable moments with each other, and their lights begin to become indiscriminately mixed. All of a sudden, the lights are unnaturally ripped apart, and the reaction causes a loss of light for both individuals. They will never be the same, as they each now own a small piece of the other's soul. How can anyone go into a relationship casually, arrogantly thinking that it will be the couple to break the cliche of high school dating.

These light reactions, they are no more than common interactions; two friends exchange greetings. It is common for us to spread our light; we are sprinkling small drops of our personal "essence" on someone else. Almost like lingering cologne, your light will remain on the people you touch and keep you on their mind. The beauty of our essence is in the fact that we are complete with Jesus. I need not and cannot be anyone other than me. When we choose to be a part of God's story, he sends Sarayu, his spirit, to live in us and to inspire us. Our physical body is what we most commonly live by, but we also have our mind in which we usually reside. Most interesting is our spirit, the place that we seldom experience consciously, but it is the place where Sarayu is most present. We must fill our spirit with the love of God, so that our light can be all the more mature and brilliant. God does not clean up our act, he develops each of our respective essences into brilliant masterpieces that will subconsciously affect all those around us. Isn't it a beautiful mess?

But I diverge. High school relationships are not bad, but why rush them? We hurtle fullspeed into a relationship that more resembles a marriage or a romance, where all we need is a friendship. The most fulfilling relationship with a guy or girl will be experiencing the valley with them--living the daily drudge alongside your best friend. Contrived love and romance have no place for now, we must learn to love outside of our emotions. Love from the depths of our spirit, out of the light which Sarayu so delightfully enriches for us. Pursue the heart of the one whom you seek, you will find there what you seek--love. If Sarayu is at the heart of the one whom you seek, then as you both draw near to Sarayu, you will draw near to each other. Seek not romance, seek Sarayu, seek Papa.

Seek Jesus

nate.

"God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this love is perfected" (1 John 4:16-17)