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Salt + Sparrow

true love
Christian Lifestyle

True Love Comes from God

February 14, 2023

It is easy to fall in love.

Seeing another person with rose-colored glasses.

Witnessing firsthand as they put their best and most romantic foot forward.

The warts carefully hidden just below the surface.

The bliss of early desire so overwhelming, there is simply no room for doubt.

Until…..

The rose-colored glasses start to fade. Little by little, those inevitable warts begin to surface.

Random acts of kindness become daily acts of annoyance. You start to see the person for who they really are.

And the only thing worse is that they start to see you for who you really are.

Last night, sitting with my husband at one of our favorite downtown Italian restaurants, I saw a glimpse of love so pure it will stick in my mind’s scrapbook for years.

No, it was not a romantic one-kneed engagement with a violin player in the background.

It was not a man giving his wife a dozen roses to commemorate their seventeenth month together.

It was not a couple sharing a bottle of wine to celebrate her big job promotion.

It was this….

My husband had gone to the restroom. I sat at the table alone, texting my mother about plans for the next day.

I happened to look over and see an elderly man, carrying his wife’s rather large purse. Just as I was about to make a dry humor comment about the purse matching his attire, he asked if I could slightly move my own purse, hanging from the back of my chair.

true love from God

As I turned to do so, I saw his lovely wife. Behind a rather large walking contraption. We smiled at each other as she slowly walked past, while her husband proceeded to assist her in walking by our table and out into the bitter cold of a February winter evening.

I thought of that couple long after we left the restaurant.

How much work it must be to go out into public when having to maneuver such a large waking device. How frustrated she must feel not to have the same ability she longingly recalls.

How much easier it would be for him to bring her dinner, in the privacy and comfort of their own home.

Yet.

Judging from the bright red lipstick (kindred spirits are we!) and the well-chosen attire, she enjoys getting out. Being in public. Surrounded by laughter, the clinking of glasses, the lights and decorations surrounding her at a welcoming Italian restaurant with her husband.

With her best friend.

True love isn’t roses on Valentine’s Day and a cameo on the Jumbotron at a football game.

It is having a spirit of servitude toward one’s spouse after years of hardship, and possibly a very long season of illness, handicap, or deep, personality-changing depression.

True love is holding the hand of the spouse that cannot reach out to hold yours. It is smiling in the midst of sadness. Forgiving when there is no apology. Hanging in when it seems easier to get out.

True love is recognizing that life is not about how happy you are, but the power to bring out happiness in others. It is loyalty, devotion, empathy, and kindness.

True love is taking your elderly wife out to eat, despite the discomfort and hard work involved. It is reveling in her smile, a distant reminder of the beautiful perfection of her youth.

True love is faithfully showing up to the nursing home, even when your spouse no longer remembers your name, or the beautiful life you made together. It is entering their world, as much as it hurts to deny your own.

True love is sometimes letting go. Oftentimes holding on. And constantly knowing which is best….for the one you hold dear.

True love is a God who adored humanity so much, despite their wicked, sinful, and selfish deeds, that He sent His own perfect son, a part of Himself, to die for this hopelessly broken world. Offering the only brand of repair humanity will ever know.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

True love is a man, arms wide open, hanging on a cross, asking His Father to forgive those that hurled hateful insults at Him, while wickedly indulging in His cruel death.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:24 (NIV)

True love is not about how others make us feel. It might just be more about recognizing the sacrifice made, that we surely did not deserve. And thus, paying it forward as best as we possibly can.

THAT is true love.

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Manndi Wilkins

Manndi Maphies DeBoef works at the UMKC School of Pharmacy and as a freelance writer in her spare time. Her greatest passion is being a boy mom to her two rambunctious, creative, endearing sons, William, age 11 and Waylan, nearly 9. Her sons never fail to provide daily entertainment, which inspires many of her writings. She also loves to write about everything from being a single mom and dating after divorce to finding love later in life, the devastation of miscarriage, the loss of a loved one and starting over. Her pieces are lovingly filled with inspiration, encouragement and always a touch of humor. “Live a life others wish to read about.”

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The Comments

  • Sandy
    February 15, 2023

    Breathtaking! Oh how He loves you and me! What a lovely way to share the love of Jesus.

    Reply
  • Manndi
    March 10, 2023

    Thank you for the kind words, Sandy! So happy to see you (and your beautiful words) in this space!

    Reply

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Welcome to Salt + Sparrow, a place where we learn about Jesus, the Bible, and find big faith in small things.

Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth #faithquotes #christ Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth 

#faithquotes #christianmoms #truth #blessed #relationshipwithgod #prayer #christianmomma #christianlifestyle #christianity #faithblogger #christianmother #faithinmotion #faithblog #christianliving #christians #momsoffaith #biblestudy #jesusalways #faith #bibleverse #pray
Every single person you meet was created by, and l Every single person you meet was created by, and loved by God. 

Even the ones who have hurt you. 

Next time you’re tempted to act out in anger, or envy, or hurt.. stop for a moment and think.. how would Jesus behave in this situation? 

Learning to respond to others for who they are rather than what they’ve done… or the emotion their actions have triggered in you, will bring you peace and freedom. 

💛
.
.
.
.
.
#faithblogger #christianblogger #christianwomen #christianlifestyle
I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn’t an Option, by Bianca Juarez Olthoff. And it couldn’t have come into my life at a better time.

I think we’ve all gone through times in our life when failure has threatened to keep us down. When getting back up after yet another fall feels seemingly impossible.

And I hate to break it to you, but we will all face failure at some point in our lives. Sometimes repeatedly. But the really amazing thing about failure is that it give us options:

We can either let failure destroy our confidence and our faith and keep us from living up to our full potential.

Or we call view failure as another chance.

Embracing failure is a concept that may be difficult to adopt at first, but when we can view failure as a learning opportunity and quickly get back up on our feet, we win. It’s also a chance to turn to God and say hey.. here’s my weakness. And it’s only through our weaknesses that we can turn to God and find His strength.

So.. are you going to change the way you view failure? Or are you going to let it hold you back?

@biancaolthoff 

I'll link a giveaway for this book in stories so go check it out there!

#gritdontquit #gritdontquitbook #bookstagram #grit #christianbooks
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"This verse isn’t promising that bad things won’t happen. It simply reminds us nothing can touch us when we live in Christ Jesus. We might experience loss and hardship, but our ultimate destination is heavenly perfection. 

So today, if you are living consumed with fear, practice surrender.

Take a deep breath and know that no matter what, you are loved and you will be ok.

God is Big Enough to hold our biggest hurts and make them beautiful." 

@mrsheidivegh 

#christianmomma #christians #christianlifestyle #faithblogger #christianmother #faithblog #faithquotes #relationshipwithgod #faithinmotion #prayer #christianliving #christianmoms #momsoffaith #truth #christianity #blessed
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About

Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth #faithquotes #christ Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth 

#faithquotes #christianmoms #truth #blessed #relationshipwithgod #prayer #christianmomma #christianlifestyle #christianity #faithblogger #christianmother #faithinmotion #faithblog #christianliving #christians #momsoffaith #biblestudy #jesusalways #faith #bibleverse #pray
Every single person you meet was created by, and l Every single person you meet was created by, and loved by God. 

Even the ones who have hurt you. 

Next time you’re tempted to act out in anger, or envy, or hurt.. stop for a moment and think.. how would Jesus behave in this situation? 

Learning to respond to others for who they are rather than what they’ve done… or the emotion their actions have triggered in you, will bring you peace and freedom. 

💛
.
.
.
.
.
#faithblogger #christianblogger #christianwomen #christianlifestyle
I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn’t an Option, by Bianca Juarez Olthoff. And it couldn’t have come into my life at a better time.

I think we’ve all gone through times in our life when failure has threatened to keep us down. When getting back up after yet another fall feels seemingly impossible.

And I hate to break it to you, but we will all face failure at some point in our lives. Sometimes repeatedly. But the really amazing thing about failure is that it give us options:

We can either let failure destroy our confidence and our faith and keep us from living up to our full potential.

Or we call view failure as another chance.

Embracing failure is a concept that may be difficult to adopt at first, but when we can view failure as a learning opportunity and quickly get back up on our feet, we win. It’s also a chance to turn to God and say hey.. here’s my weakness. And it’s only through our weaknesses that we can turn to God and find His strength.

So.. are you going to change the way you view failure? Or are you going to let it hold you back?

@biancaolthoff 

I'll link a giveaway for this book in stories so go check it out there!

#gritdontquit #gritdontquitbook #bookstagram #grit #christianbooks
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"This verse isn’t promising that bad things won’t happen. It simply reminds us nothing can touch us when we live in Christ Jesus. We might experience loss and hardship, but our ultimate destination is heavenly perfection. 

So today, if you are living consumed with fear, practice surrender.

Take a deep breath and know that no matter what, you are loved and you will be ok.

God is Big Enough to hold our biggest hurts and make them beautiful." 

@mrsheidivegh 

#christianmomma #christians #christianlifestyle #faithblogger #christianmother #faithblog #faithquotes #relationshipwithgod #faithinmotion #prayer #christianliving #christianmoms #momsoffaith #truth #christianity #blessed
God had already been speaking to me for some time God had already been speaking to me for some time about how my desire to control the details and direction of my life was getting in the way of my trust in Him and my submission to Him.

The fear of not being in control had stolen my contentment, joy, and peace. So many opportunities and relationships had been strangled or suffocated due to the struggle for control.

The Lord had been directing me to practice putting my full trust in Him.

While I used to spend much of my energy worrying and controlling, God began teaching me to put all of that effort into trusting Him instead.

Friends, as I look back over my life, I cannot think of one time that I regret surrendering to God and yielding control to Him. Was it difficult and painful? Indeed it was.

Did I take it back untold times, having to surrender again and again? You bet.

But this I’ve discovered: as we lean into our powerlessness and His sovereignty, we experience new levels of freedom and joy.

Once upon a time, I would have thought that losing control was the worst thing that could happen to me. Now I know that releasing it was what I needed most.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to yield this new area of control to you– I surrender myself and all of my brokenness. Guide me and remind me each day to put my full effort into trusting You.

@jamiedesilvia 

Full post on saltsparrow.com

 #pray #faith #prayer #bibleverse #biblestudy #bibleversedaily #faithinmotion #faithblogger #christianmomma #jesusalways #faithblog #faithquotes #christianmoms #christianmother #christianlife #christianlifestyle #momsoffaith #christianliving #relationshipwithgod #christians #faithbased #momswhoreadthebible
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