In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

I heard you say you love her/him, that you’re ready to marry them?  Before you ask her, or agree to his request can you consider this scenario?  You’ve won a shopping spree from you’re area mall’s lingerie store, and you’re walking down the corridor, looking in the windows, appreciating the displays, contemplating what you’ll purchase, anticipating your choice there are thousands of garments, in every style, an assortment of colors, fabrics, price is no concern, the only restriction is that you have to keep what you pick, there’s no exchange or return policy.

So you began browsing through the store, should I get what I need or what I’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford?  You start asking yourself all sorts of things, like what looks best on me, what will accommodate my likes and comfort ability, will accentuate or intensify my beauty, presentation?  You begin to solicit the advice of others, wanting them to validate your choice, share in your excitement, providing long dialogue of the pro’s and cons or what you’re anticipating, really not listening to anything said or suggested in terms of what you should choose, your minds already made up, the conversation is merely entertaining, satisfying to narcissistic behavior, for once you’ve cornered the market, all variables are in your favor, under your control; it’s all about you.

You quickly shuffle through the racks; you touch the displays, unfolding other wised perfectly folded garments, trying to find your size, holding it up to a mirror to see how it will look.  Finally after a while, you make your choice, among the things you’ve tried on, you found it the perfect fit and cut, you are so excited, eyes open, heart leaping you choose perfection, and you take it up to the counter to purchase it, You can’t wait to get it home, wear it, experience the way it will feel on your skin.  You chose the most intimate apparel, to hold and cover your unmentionables, it’s purchase goes beyond the price you paid, it’s value determined by your desire and need of, it makes you feel a certain way, makes you believe something greater, grander than what you’ve known or experienced in other intimate apparel, it’s the expectation of what better feels like.

Now I want you to see, imagine that same priceless garment five, ten, twenty, fifty years later, it faintly resembles the beauty you saw the day you choose it, you can scarcely mustard up the excitement and feelings that were present during the time of adventure.  You can barely explain its present day worth, you fail to remember its purpose, and no longer value its worth.  You’ve put it on several times, worn it in all sorts of weather, it made your events special and more meaningful, you’ve even called them your lucky pair, and they’ve made everything better.  This day, you can’t find or appreciate its possession, all you’re able to see is that its tattered and worn, the fit isn’t quite right, the feel no longer satisfies or brings delight; after all the time invested, all the support given, all the times it’s never failed you, or given out under abuse and pressure, you decide it’s time to throw it away, get another, newer, more stylish, current with the trend garment of intimate apparel,  you plan to toss it, as soon as you find it’s replacement.

Before you do I caution you of the stipulations attached to the original agreement, you could choose what ever you wanted but there’s an existing policy of no exchange or return. Before you try to fast talk me, or justify why you should be allowed to break the agreement let me remind you of the time you made your choice, you were completely aware of the longevity your purchase would entail; so no one fooled you, you weren’t tricked, forced, or coerce into  anything.  You made the choice, wise, informed, well thought out it should have been, it’s not my fault, concern, or responsibility to justify and explain the ills of your garment.  I’d rather discuss your state of mind, perception, then, now, and tomorrow.   In all the excitement, meanderings of that time, and day  I don’t remember you asking or inquiring about the longevity of it’s material, you anticipating it’s use when your needs change, yeah the crux of your choice was merely cosmetic, chose for how it fit then, how you’d look at the present, how you felt then.  You didn’t consider possible stitching unraveling, or coming apart, how you would mend it; the stains its material would show up, the foul disgusting odor that your juices would create, and the fact that laundering and care taking processes would beat away at its give.

I believe in love, all it’s ups and downs, the adversity attached to its attainment and the work of its maintaining.  I believe love is worth the effort, is meant for us all, that if we make better, well thought out choices we can reach forever, together in love.  Love is possible, is great, exhilarating and meant for the human heart. It’s a gift of God, renewed daily by our choice to remain faithful to its concepts, our willingness to refrain from destructive patterns of selfish behavior; it’s a continual restoration of God’s original intent for man and woman, purposing, what’s manifested through our human frailty.

Don’t abandoned or throw away what can’t be helped, what can be washed in the blood of the lamb.  We can’t do or walk in love the way it’s meant to be outside of understanding who we are in relation to He is.  If you’re able to see your need of Him, if you’re dependent upon Him for everything, then and only then are you ready to give and experience the totality of Love.  You’ve proven your choice is based upon something vaster than your need; it’s an assignment, God given ability to pursue life, the choice to walk in possibility, and all that it entails.  You have a choice to make, life or death, heaven or hell, victory or defeat, loves relationship manifested outwardly.  Its amazing how one choice affects every other choice we make, how that choice determines the validity of life and all its experiences. So the determinant of love should be reflected character, people pay attention to the choice people make concerning their eternity, not what they have, can do, or how good they look, when it all boils down to it all we really have tangible as proof of committed love is the choice we make in how we live our life.  If he or she makes good choices concerning their own life, they’ll make good choices for the life their privileged to share. If you want to start living whole make the choice to love God completely, and then you’ll love and accept yourself in the same manner, making it possible, doable to love and accept another in the very same way.

After this attainment you are ready to enter into what it will take to foster a lasting enduring love assignment, seizing the opportunity to exude to the world God’s love for the church.  The assignment begins each day, it’s a matter of perception, the lens you use to see them, clear of distraction and negativity, it’s the choice of your heart to love them through sickness and health, the best of decisions, worst of indiscretions, failures, weaknesses, past or present dilemma’s, inability to move and do what’s expected to come naturally, it’s the handling of our unmentionables that proves our decision and commitment of love. Be committed to the concept of love, we strive to attain, not the feelings, or emotions we attach to it, they are subject to change; loves principle remains and reinvents itself with time, it adapts and is sustained by an entity higher than our thoughts, deeper than our desire.  It is, will always be, rather you believe in it or not; that’s the beauty in its mystery, the lure of its captivating power, proving His sovereignty.  Because He is, we are, all life is possible, doable, love is not hopeless, impossible it’s very much present, accessible to every heart, complete in and of itself, it yields to possibility and connects with hidden treasure housed in the greatness of others, find Him (GOD), you’ll find you, you’ll be able to see, value, pledge your heart to another; ultimately becoming a gift giver, producing from the wealth of who you are.  Someone’s awaiting your expression of love, some one need’s to love you significantly, desires to hold you, wants you to benefit from being loved by them.  I’m trying to engage you in meaningful dialogue that will cultivate desire, grow determination, and empower you for loves journey as your life’s assignment.  The decision to love should be made when you understand your purpose it will last when it’s attached to your destiny not based merely on desire. That my friend is the gift of choice~AntTBri