Crazy in Love

When I first fell in love with my husband, Joel, some 23 years ago. I fell hard. I was crazy with love. It wasn’t a sensible love, but a love that tried to out do itself constantly.

I wrote long, gushing, love riddled letters. I talked to him on the phone whenever humanly possible. I would try to orchestrate possible encounters. Like the day after school when I just happened to be walking on the road with my girlfriends, the very road I knew he would be driving down at that given time in the afternoon. Nothing was too extravagant for my love. I spent a good portion of my time thinking up wonderful and unprecedented ways to show him how completely he had captured my heart.

I was enamored.

I was consumed with a wild, electrical, heart on fire kind of love.

Over the past year I have been learning that this is the kind of love I need to have for Jesus.

It is the kind of love He has for me.

Oh, you know, I have always known that I should love Jesus because that’s what the Bible says and plus He gave His life for me.  But, that consuming love just wasn’t in me. I couldn’t grasp how to go about loving Him that way. And really should I? It does seem a bit radical.

All of these stumbling blocks were in my path. Too much head knowledge and not enough living from my heart was taking place.

As the months have tumbled over one another and the days have flown by it has been a year since I took a stand and made it my hearts cry to be hungry for more of Jesus, to know Him as He truly is, to clear away the religious and grab hold of a deep love and intimacy with Christ.

Oswald Chambers wrote: “If we have the idea that love is characterized  as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning.” ( My Utmost For His Highest)

Love for Jesus calls us to extremes.

How about the woman who poured the very expensive perfume, made of pure nard on Jesus’ head, the cost of which was a years wages. The disciples were shocked and a bit indignant. But, Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing.” (Mark 14:6)

A beautiful thing. An out of the ordinary thing. A crazy, on fire, love thing.

And Jesus loved it.

I so easily can be complacent in my love for Jesus. But, I want to be like the woman who put perfume on Jesus’ head. An above and beyond, out of the ordinary love.  I want people to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m living for Jesus. I want to be extravagant with my love for Him. I want to spend hours talking with Him. I want to live my love for Him. Not in a safe, stagnant sort of way, but with a tear down the house, love out loud, shout it from the roof tops sort of way.

With a megaphone to my lips I’m going to broadcast,  I’m CRAZY, IN LOVE, with my JESUS.