(Another older writing)
Given the scriptures exhortations about the importance of love, it is critical for Christ’s followers to understand what that word means to Him. To that end, the Lord gave me a series of visions that helped to clarify the relationship that He desires to have. Hopefully, they will bring some clarity for others as well.
(Gratitude)
As I pondered what it means to truly love the Lord, He gave me a vision of standing at the front door of my old house, looking out the screen door. Across the street was an apartment complex, which had a bus stop directly in front of it. The road between was not zoned for a residential area, and so the cars normally came through at a very high rate of speed.
In the vision I looked across the street to the bus stop and saw what appeared to be a young mother, with a child (approximately 3 yrs old) busily exploring the ground around her feet. As I watched, the mother received a cell phone call, which took her attention off of the child, who immediately began to wander onto the roadway. Knowing how the traffic moved through this area, I was alarmed and ran out the door. At the edge of the road I could see that my fears were warranted, as a car was rapidly closing in on the child.
Instinctively I ran toward him, violently grabbing him under his arms and diving toward the edge of the road; just as the screeching tires of the car passed by us. We hit the ground hard, before rolling to a stop on the grass. There was what seemed to be a frozen moment of silence, as the shock of what just happened washed over us; but that silence was quickly shattered by the fearful screams of the child and the loud cries of his mother.
As I scrambled to ensure that the boy was OK, his hysterical mother ran to us; as did the driver of the now stopped car. Upon seeing that the boy wasn’t seriously hurt, I lifted him into his mother’s arms, as she managed to repeat thank you, thank you, thank you, through her sobs. As I looked into the faces of the mother, her child and the panic stricken driver, the vision ended and the Lord began to speak.
“Do you think that they are grateful?” He said
“Absolutely”, I replied
“If I asked them if they loved you, what do you think that they’d say?” He continued
“In this moment I would suppose that they may say that they did”, I replied
“Do you believe that they love you?” He asked
“I think that they love what I did, but they really don’t know me, so I don’t see how they could honesty love me”, I said.
“This is how many of the people who say that they love Me are; they are grateful for what I’ve done for them, but they don’t really know me at all”
From this exchange with the Lord, I derived that while we should be grateful for His sacrifice on the cross, we cannot mistake that gratitude for the loving relationship that He’s called us to.
(Explicit Love)
As I pondered how I might bless the Lord’s heart, He gave me a vision of a man (in his mid to late forties) walking through his house and buttoning his shirt. The house was dark and after a couple seconds I realized it was before dawn and that he was getting ready for work. As he passed by his children’s bedrooms, he paused to check on them as they slept and then he quietly slipped out the door.
I then saw him at work on a construction site, where he appeared to be the Foreman or maybe a Construction Engineer. He was working hard and providing direction to several different people; I could see from their response that they respected him and what he was telling them.
The scene then shifted back to his home, as he came in the kitchen to drop off his lunch bucket and checked the “Honey Do List” on the refrigerator. I then saw him outside his house, working on a ladder, apparently repairing something near the rain gutters. The house and the yard looked immaculate, as if a lot of care had been expended on them.
The scene once again shifted and he was now sitting down with his family for dinner. I watched as they bowed their heads and blessed the food. After dinner, I saw the man hard at work on his computer, as his children came to say goodnight to him. While he acknowledged the children briefly; he seemed immersed in his work. It appeared to be very late when his wife came by to say goodnight as well. Sometime later, he walked back through the darkened house, put on his night clothes and slipped into bed. As he lay in bed, the Lord began to speak.
“What do you think of this man?” He asked
“He seems to be a very good man to me Lord”, I replied
“Do you think that he loves his family?” He continued
“Oh yes”, I said
“What makes you think so?” He asked
“Because he seems to work hard, they have a beautiful home and he seems to take good care of them”, I said
“Do they feel loved?” He asked
“I would think so”, I replied
“Look closer”, He said
As I moved around his bed, I could see his wife’s face; and to my surprise she wasn’t asleep. As I came closer, I could see that there were tears in her eyes. As I moved down the hall and looked at the faces of the children, they too were awake and also had tears in their eyes.
“I don’t understand Lord, why are they so sad?” I asked
“Because they love this man”, He replied
“But he clearly loves them, don’t they understand?” I asked
“He wants them to understand that he loves them because of all that he is doing for them, but they would all be willing to sacrifice some of these comforts if it meant that they could have more time with him”, the Lord said, “You see this is how many of My children are with Me; they want Me to derive the fact that they love Me by all of the things that they do for Me; but I’d be much more pleased just to spend time with them”.
From this I concluded that while our actions should reflect our love of the Lord, we must be careful that our love for Him doesn’t become implied (i.e. implicit), as opposed to being expressed (i.e. explicit). I felt like the Lord said that if a faith that never acts is dead; what is the value of a love that is never truly expressed?
(The Desires of Our Heart)
As I pondered what it means to be passionate for the Lord, he gave me the following vision.
As she stepped out of the hotel lobby and onto the busy Manhattan sidewalk, she could sense the electricity in the air. The boulevards were jammed with people and cars, not unlike the streets that she’d grown up with in Calcutta (or Kolkata as it is known in India). But to her the atmosphere was totally different. Despite the affluent appearance of her hometown, she viewed it as a monument to a bygone era; an oasis of civility in a largely third world culture.
New York City seemed different to her; modern and progressive. America was not some third world country; it was the nation of the great middle class, where average people expected the next generation to progress beyond the current one.
As she walked along the crowded avenue the possibilities seemed endless, as exotic smells filled her nostrils, unfamiliar sounds rang in her ears, and inviting scenes seemed to unfold at every turn. She found it intoxicating, as she spent hours strolling through shops, galleries and plazas; simply taking in the ambience of the city.
Every once in a while, a wave of sadness would wash over her as she remembered that the Travel Visa, which allowed her to be in this country, would soon expire; and that she would have to return home. This trip had been a graduation gift from her parents, and she was due to start Medical School in a few weeks. But this is where she wanted to be, and the thought of going back was excruciating to her. She quickly pushed these thoughts and feelings aside, as to not waste the precious time that remained.
As she passed through the doorway of the exclusive restaurant, she saw Michael waiting for her. When he saw her, his face broke into a broad smile. Failing to conceal his excitement, he quickly made his way to her. He helped her with her coat and they were soon seated at a little table by the window, which overlooked Times Square. She had met Michael a few days after arriving in New York, and he had persistently pursued spending time with her ever since. He was a successful business man, in his mid-thirties, and he seemed very eager for them to cultivate a relationship.
While she had every reason to be attracted to Michael, his earnest manner made her somewhat uncomfortable. She loved the places that he’d taken her, and enjoyed the attention that he lavished upon her, but she couldn’t seem to get herself excited about the relationship that he seemed to long for. As they waited to order their food, Michael stared at her intently; totally enthralled by her dark eyes and almond colored skin. Yet, she seemed oblivious, as she stared out the window, apparently mesmerized by the bustle of the cityscape.
After their food was ordered, Michael’s face grew serious. He told her that he understood that her time in America would soon be over, and of how sad he was at the thought that they might never see each other again. Though his grief seemed to rest more on the latter thought, hers rested firmly on the former. His face brightened some as he explained that it didn’t need to be that way. Reaching into his pocket, Michael produced a small felt covered box, pushing it across the table to her. A wave of trepidation swept over her as she realized what was happening.
His face was glowing with love as he said, “You could stay here and be my Bride”?
Her head spun at the sound of his words. She knew that her feelings for him were not nearly as strong as his were for her. Truthfully, she didn’t really know him very well; though she had to admit to herself that her desire to know him better wasn’t that strong. On the other hand, agreeing to this proposal would mean that she could remain in this place, which she’d come to view as a sort of paradise. The thought of returning to the oppressive atmosphere of her homeland was overwhelming to her. The thought of becoming a naturalized citizen in this country was like a dream come true. This was her chance for the life that she yearned for; how could she even consider saying no.
As she opened the felt box, she saw the spectacular diamond ring that he’d picked out for her. He pulled the ring from the holder and taking her hand, he gently slipped it onto her finger. It fit perfectly and flashes of light erupted from it with every movement; she found herself captivated by it.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Oh yes!” she replied, without looking at him.
When she was finally able to pull her eyes from the ring, she looked into Michael’s face. She could see that he was stricken in anticipation of her answer.
She finally whispered, “How could I say no?”
Michael made no attempt to conceal his delight, and people from other tables began to look at them. She was embarrassed, but he was unashamed to share his joyful report with anyone who would listen. As Michael ordered Champagne for everyone in the restaurant, and continued in excited conversation with those around him, she stared out the window at her new home, and smiled.
At the end of the vision I felt like the Lord said, “This is a picture of my Bride. She yearns to live in my Kingdom, she yearns for the things that this marriage will afford her, she yearns for the treasures of my store houses, but she doesn’t necessarily yearn for Me.”
While the Lord intends for His Kingdom to be inviting and to be lavish with His children, I believe His heart yearns for a Bride who will love Him for who He is. I pray that we would become such a Bride.
The eyes of the Lord range (i.e. run to and fro) throughout the earth, to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)
From the book, “Along the King’s Highway” by Bryan J. Corbin
Published in 2008 (ISBN 978-1-4363-6965-7)
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Finding God’s Favor
Posted in Commentaries, Tributes, tagged aggressiveness, beloved, childlike, children, compassion, cynicism, faith, frolicking, grandchildren, Heart, innocence, intellect, intelligence, nurture, nurturing, partner, sensitivity, sibling, smart, transformation, vulnerabilities, wife, wisdom on May 26, 2025| 1 Comment »
Like most kids who grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s, my parents had home movies they’d occasionally pull out and show on a big projector screen. One that particularly sticks out in my mind is of my brothers and I playing on the street in front of my grandmother’s house in Brooklyn. It was a cold, dreary looking day, and we were all in our winter coats, but we were running around with the sort of abandon that only young children seem to possess.
I believe that I was about 5 yrs old in the film, which would make my brothers 6 yrs and 7 yrs old. In particular it was my brother Tom (the oldest sibling) who stood out. His big eyes and childlike manner in these movies were such a sharp contrast to the serious and pragmatic fellow he would eventually become. These old reels were some of the only evidence that he’d not really started out that way.
Life has a way of pushing back against innocence and cultivating cynicism. And for little boys, wide eyed compassion and sensitivity aren’t generally a sustainable course. Very quickly it becomes clear that having such emotions or at least allowing folks to know that you have them, is a precarious path to take. Early on, it becomes a matter of survival to learn how to hide your vulnerabilities and to always come from a position of strength. For many young men that manifests in a form of aggressiveness that is generally accepted for young males. For my brother Tom, it manifested in the form of intellect.
My brother had a brilliant mind and was usually one of the smartest guys in the room. He also had the ability to express himself, which made his intelligence harder to ignore. Because my father was in the Air Force, we changed schools constantly, but wherever we’d go my brother would quickly be viewed as the smartest kid in the class. As the sensitive nurturing elements of his personality receded into dormancy, the power of his mind emerged. He wasn’t just smart, he was a born leader, and soon that was all you could see.
As a younger brother, who had no desire to be led by someone I thought of as a peer, I just viewed him as overbearing and bossy. By the time we got to high school, his identity as the smart kid was already set in stone, and he further solidified it by dating the smartest girl in school. In those days, if you had asked anyone who knew my brother to describe him with three adjectives, his intelligence would have been referenced with the first word.
Forty-five years later, as I sat through the various memorial services celebrating my brother’s (too short) life, I suddenly recalled those scenes of us frolicking on the street as kids, and I realized that not one person had made a singular reference to his intelligence. Indeed, there was barely any mention of the impressive work he had done at Ball Aerospace (e.g., the Hubble Telescope, the Mars Rover), or any of his other accomplishments.
As the montage of pictures scrolled across the screen, they were mostly scenes of Tom with his grandchildren, or his god children, or dear friends, or with his beloved wife. In many of them he was dressed funny and clearly goofing around with that same sort of abandon that we’d had as children.
When people eulogized him, it was his warmth, compassion, faith, and wisdom they spoke of. And I found myself wondering how this transformation had occurred. What was it that allowed my brother’s true heart to re-emerge over all these years.
The short and simple answer is that the God who gave Him that heart, also worked throughout his life to preserve it. But at the center of God’s plan was Tom’s beloved wife Fawn.
By the time they’d met in high school, Tom had developed a pretty sharp edge to his personality, yet around her, he was like Jello. He was crazy about her from day one, and she was not the type of person to use that as leverage against him. If there were ever two people who seemed destined for each other, it was these two, and absolutely no one was surprised that they married and spent a lifetime together.
Looking back, I realize that because Fawn loved my brother for who he was, she made it safe for the nurturing, loving, playful part of his heart to re-emerge. Because she routinely engaged that part of his being, it regained strength and eventually became the hallmark of his legacy. Though it sounds cliche, she brought out the best in him. And to his credit, I believe that he did that for her as well.
As I pondered all this, I couldn’t help but think that this is exactly what God had in mind for marriage. That these unions were meant to amount to more than just the sum of the parts. That both partners would help each other become the people they were created to be.
If Tom had chosen to spend his life with someone who only related to him on an intellectual level, he may well have become a stoic recluse. Thankfully, he found a loving soul, who was full of spirit, and every bit his intellectual equal. She loved his heart and nurtured it throughout their years together.
In my brother’s final days, the room was filled with people who loved him and whose lives had been touched by his. And right by his side was his beloved partner Fawn. Though we could wish for more days, it would be hard to imagine a better way to finish the race.
He who finds a wife of worth, receives the favor of the Lord (Prov.18:22)
A wife of noble character is worth far more than rubies (Prov.31:10)
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