want.

this past week i've had the great honor of sharing in two of life's greatest love stories.

one of my dear friends requested that i join her in asking for her heart to be seized by the great affection of a loving savior. this was by far one of the most beautiful moments i've ever experienced.

you have to understand something about this friend... she has been thinking about making this decision for quite the matter of time now. she has taught me much about kindness, love, faithfulness, and perseverance. she has been a woman of faith long before she had made the decision to ask Jesus into her heart. i consider her to be one of the finest examples of Godly women in my life. so, as you can see, to be asked to share in that moment of acknowledging that she is lost without the saver of the lost - i feel absolutely privileged.

another joy i was able to share in this week was the engagement of my second oldest brother. he has been smitten with the best of them, and it was so much fun to share in his excitement throughout the pursuit of his bride-to-be.

this morning i was reflecting back on the week we've just completed. like the past few weeks, this one has brought with it it's share of difficulty, but quite beautifully and at the same time, it's also brought with it these lovely events.

i couldn't help but be drawn to the theme of these stories.

great want.

i have always loved the picture that is drawn for us throughout the Bible. the one where Jesus is our groom and we are his bride.

there is something so lovely about the commitment made between a bride and groom. love, respect, want... i like all of these factors, but today the want factor has stuck out to me.

take for instance my brother mark. he has been pursuing his lovely fiance, jamie, for a while now. she is lovely in every sense of the word, and to see them together is just a natural pick-me-up. i loved hanging out with them in LA a bit ago, and i so enjoy talking to mark on the phone and hearing his excited tone as he talks about his beauty.

i love that mark truly wants to be with jamie for the rest of his days, and judging by her answer, it's clear to see she truly wants to be with him for the rest of her days.

then i think about that within the story of my friend kara and her new love-life with the ultimate romancer. how incredible is it that Jesus was able to somehow portray to kara that he wanted her more than anything, and in turn, kara was able to say, "i want you too."

i think sometimes i get caught up in the fact that i need Jesus (which is most definitely the case). however, the past few weeks (and this past week especially) have been a stunning reminder of the great want between me and my Jesus.

oh, the beauty of want.