The One About What Women Want

Hubby and I returned from Cuba on Tuesday night...late!

One would think that with Cuba being only 90 miles off the coast of our country, the trip home would only take few hours.

If, like me, you think that way, we would be so wrong.

Eighteen hours from door to door made for a long, long, day...especially after a wonderful, but full and busy, week of ministry!

(our flight after we de-boarded, just sitting on the tarmac, waiting for a pilot who was stuck in Houston traffic...a normal 45 minute drive, which took him 3 hours to get to work...#journeyhomeproblems)

So, waking up this morning, and realizing it was Thursday, and I'm committed to be somewhat regular in posting a blog, but knowing I hadn't really processed my week in Cuba fully..................well, let's just say I was less than prepared for a Thursday Thought.

HOWEVER, there is a little "but God" coming.

As I walked into the kitchen in search of my morning cup of coffee, a wee miracle occurred.

You see, I have always declared (and, while it sounds a bit humorous, there is more truth than humor to my statement):  "Even Jesus won't talk to me until I've had coffee!"

(Ok, here it is) BUT GOD!!! I heard just one little whisper to the ears of my heart (there-in-is-the-miracle).

And, so, I've grabbed onto that whisper, and I'm spinning a thought or two around it.

By now, you are hoping those thoughts are brief.

Here is what jumped from His mouth to my heart:

"Women-in-the-church EVERYWHERE are all the same; and, we all want the same things."

We do!

It's what makes it so much easier to go to other countries to speak.

Our hearts are knit together in desire of the same wants.

What are they?

As I sat with women to pray, as Bay and I prayed over husbands and wives together, as we held question and answer sessions, the focus was this:
1) We want healthy, happily-ever-after marriages.

2) We want our husbands to serve the Lord with us.
3) We want children.
4) We want those children to honor the Lord (and, us...OK... more-so-us than the Lord) with the way they live their lives.

5) We want our children to be MORE: more successful, more happy, more godly, more financially secure, more problem-free than we were, are, or will ever be.

There was a thought that kept re-occurring to me, however, and I wondered, how many times as we come to the Lord do we ask the right question:

Lord, here's what I want, but what do you want?

So, on this Valentine's Day, I remember that first and foremost, God wants our love. It is the greatest commandment. The "Shema" in the Old Testament, re-quoted by Jesus (see the opening passage above).

Then, Jesus says, "If you love me, you will show it by keeping my commandments..."

Right there...this is Jesus' answer to women everywhere, 

"Want to know what I want even more than happy marriages and contented children?"

"Your love!"

"Your love shown by doing this life according to My words!"

"You seeking me above your wants...even if (especially if) it is counter-intuitive to your wants."

And, what burdened my heart as we ministered to women in three different regions of Cuba is that these women are just like all of us............looking for ways to get around Jesus' commands..............wanting someone to concur with our wants, justifying them, excusing them, waving a magic wand over them...

But God just wants our HEARTS fully committed, loving Him, seeking His will...

Turning from our ways to His ways (Exodus 18:20)...

"teach them God's decrees and instructions, and show them the way in which they are to walk"

Our God has gone to great lengths to love us!

So, on this day of loving others by going to great lengths to show it to them, I want to re-commit my heart to loving Him first, most, and best...and showing Him in tangible ways.

Ever asked what God's love language might be?

God's love language is my response to His Word!

On this day, I re-commit to His way above all.

To ask: What Would Jesus Want? before I look at what I want...

WWJW!?!

Oh...and, P.S.

When we set in motion our plans to love Him with our all and all?

Well, there is this:

Let's just not get things out of order...

Love Him first.

Delight in Him.

Follow in obedience.

Then...just see what He will do!