IT'S CALLED DATE NIGHT

Hosea 10:12  "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord."

I was thinking earlier about some friends that are so wrapped up in their children, their work, their play, and even, sadly, themselves.  I no longer wonder why these thoughts come to mind, as I have found the Spirit of the Lord will be quickly speaking to me about it.  And the Lord brought forth, date night.

In the early days of my marriage to Robert, after the first few years of adjustment, ridding one's self of baggage that was carried in from previous marriages, we settled into the work and home routine.  The first three years he worked shift work, so that left little time for us, the ships passing in the night kind of thing.  But when he went on straight days, weekends off, that made a difference.  Every Saturday morning we would get up and have our morning coffee, look at the laundry, the dust on the furniture, and the mud by the back door.....and we would waltz out the door and go have breakfast at a local restaurant....sometimes it was McDonalds, sometimes, it was better; but the idea here is, we left the house together and had a date.  After breakfast, we would do something, if it were window shopping, trade show, craft show, or whatever, we spent the better part of the day just concentrating on each other.  It was time to show each other how special time together was and how we loved spending time with each other.

Yes, I know, folks have children.....but here is the deal.  When all your time is spent concentrating on the children, or the housework, or whatever you can find that keeps you away from that important man/woman in your life.....there will come a time that you find ...... it will be too late.  You will have forgotten what it is like to have that real, passionate love for that person.  You will love them, but it will not be the kind of love that will sustain you through the years, after the children are grown and gone, after retirement comes and the job is no longer the love you had before, after the house is just exactly like it should be....when there are only two there, it can stay pretty neat.  You will find that the person you fell so deeply in love with all those years ago, will feel just like you do, indifferent, complacent.  Long days will turn into long nights, with nothing to say to each other as you will have become as strangers.  And it might have been different had you had.....date night.

After Robert's illness overtook him and he could not get out like he enjoyed doing, we still did things together....date night does not have to be an expensive time, you can make it what works for you.  We would pop popcorn and watch a movie together, or sometimes just sit quietly together on the swing on the back porch, being in each other company....undivided attention, talking together, sharing our memories, still talking of the future.

When I became a widow..... yes, I know, you are thinking, my date nights were over; you are so wrong.  Now I have a date anytime I look inside my heart, when I seek out the Spirit of the One whose love I desire more than anyone on this earth, He comes to me.  I would suggest to all of you, men and women alike, to make time also for the special One, our Lord and God, and spend quality time with Him.  Set up a date night if you must, a special time, it doesn't need to be night but can be what works for you and the Lord.  I know He will let you choose the time, because He is always free and excited to have a date with us.  Date time with the Lord, so special, as He loves to pour out Himself in such exciting ways.  Spoken words into our spirits, a glow that will settle all over your being, and pure chills as you feel His presence surround you.

It's called date night for a reason.....date is a time when something happens, a time set aside, Set aside time this week to be with your spouse, to share that love you have for each other, to keep your marriage true to it's beginning.....and set aside that special time to have a date with the Lord, your God, and keep that relationship true to it's beginning...for you see, He has loved You with an everlasting love, and He wants to share Himself with you too.

10-03-12