I can't wait to read Pastor Gary's blog on this book! It ought to be good. Lilies, pomegranites, doves, gazelles, fawns, etc... why is it these words hold so much intrigue and passion. It is because it causes us to invoke the imagination. Instead of saying your breasts are large.... the writer is describing them invoking imagination. The word pictures are fascinating and as a man I have to be careful how much I think about them, lest I get nothing else done today. But let's reflect on this in our own marriages?
- But why is it that I don't talk to my wife like this today?
- How often am I invoking Nicole's imagination in the conversations I have with her? Am I merely describing details or am I asking her to associate two seemingly unrelated things in a new and exciting way?
- Why don't I take time to tell her what I admire about her (and even lust after occasionally)? God created us to love and be enamored with each other. I remember times when we were dating that I used to behave this way - on occasion - but not as a routine matter of behavior.
- What would it do for our marriage if I were to compliment her more and encourage her more and spice up our relationship more?
The bottom line is I've let life get in the way of really living. I've let our conversations remain on the transactional stuff of life (because there is so much of it) and not get into the imaginative stuff of our relationship.
Just recently we re-instituted the concept of "date night" in our marriage. One night a month where we go out just the two of us and do something that we wouldn't normally do. Going to a nice dinner or even to a improv show, these are all things that we've done. It's not so much the event at hand as it is the ability we have to talk about stuff other than "life." While I've even squandered away this opportunity to go deeper in conversation these moments have brought about a sort of "renewal" to our marriage. With the impending birth of our 3rd baby, I pray we will continue this discipline.
I encourage you as I have been encouraged today to start dating your spouse again. Let it start with your words, followed by your actions... and let's see what comes next..... Gazelles leaping in the lilies perhaps????? :)
