This is What Love Looks Like

Our family spent Wednesday at our deer camp celebrating the Fourth of July.  Ted & I went up the day before to prepare the way for the Quick clan’s arrival.  Ted also had some deer scouting he wanted to do like putting out trail cameras, looking for sign, and finding new places to hunt.  I willing joined him on this journey deep into the woods.  Riding the 4-wheeler on cleared trails was no problem, I would even classify it as fun, but forging through the woods while dodging branches and briars, ditches and fallen trees was a little less than fun for me.   

You see, I don’t really like being in the woods and I don’t really like riding ATVs, but I do really, really like my Man.  So for that reason alone I acted like a big girl (well, I did whine a little when he drove down this steep bank into a creek) and went along for the RIDE.  At least I thought it was going to be a RIDE.  I didn’t know it was going to be a RIDE and then a HIKE.  To my surprise we stopped the 4-wheeler and hiked into the woods for what seemed like miles.  Ted assures me it was only yards.  Okay so maybe I did whine more than once.  But all in all I think I was a pretty good sport.  We did our scouting and headed back to the camp house.

I was feeling pretty good and proud of myself for my accomplished joint adventure with my husband.   It was in that moment of pride that the red bumps began popping up all over my ankles and legs.  Red bumps that itch and ooze!  In the South we call those red bumps chigger bites and those oozing bumps poison ivy.  I have carried a can of Calamine spray in my purse all day and have shown my red bumps to anybody that will stand still, like a soldier displaying his Purple Heart.  Last night I put my bug bitten ankle in Ted’s face and said, “This is what love looks like!”  We had a nice little chuckle and he gave me lots of sympathy.  

My own words have resonated in my spirit today.  As I spoke those words to Ted, “This is what love looks like”, God whispered to me, “No, THIS is what love looks like”, and He flashed an image of His Son hanging on the cross.  Our cultural definition of love is so messed up.  I tend to think of love as sweet things like cards, candy, flowers and acts of service.  Those things are loving and we should show our love in those ways.  But love, real love, isn’t sweet at all.  It hurts.  It scars.  It itches!  Real love says, “I am willing to be uncomfortable for you.”  Jesus was way more than uncomfortable that day on Golgotha’s hill.  He died.  Why?  Because THAT is what love looks like.