The Sweatshirt

pc:bima utomo

My high school daughter and her boyfriend made dinner for my husband and I the other night. With giggles and laughter, they chopped up lettuce, grated cheese and fried the chicken. Smoke billowed to the ceiling as the kitchen filled with the fragrance oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. Our eyes lit up at the Mexican feast they set before us. Before we said a prayer and devoured the food I snapped a picture of their proud faces and the food they had made.

 With bellies full and dishes done I made my way to the couch and began to scroll through the photos on my phone. Stopping on the one I just took something other than the food caught my eye. What made me chuckle was that my daughter and her boyfriend were each wearing the other’s sweatshirt. I knew they liked to exchange sweatshirts, but this made me laugh!

 With fondness I remembered wearing my husband’s sweatshirt in high school. Spritzed with his cologne, it made me feel loved and that I was his. Wearing his sweatshirt meant I belonged and that what was his was mine. All day long I would smell that cologne enjoy the felt sense of a nearness to him. It made me feel safe and connected. At night I would tuck the sweatshirt under my head and fall asleep as my mind filled with thoughts of him.

 This morning as I was praying and reflecting my daughter’s affection for this young man and his sweatshirts God spoke a word to my heart. It was as if he said, “Want my sweatshirt? Here, put it on.” He continued, “Put on my love today. You are covered in it. My favor, it rests on you. Relish the fragrance of me- Remember me and that you are mine. Be still and stop striving for what has always been yours. You have my heart dear one. And what’s mine is yours because you’re my girl. We are connected you and I and you are the apple of my eye.”

 So, I entered my day, feeling like a girlfriend again and it was nice. I felt special not because of me but because I was picked by him- And the Bible says, dear reader you are too. The invitation is longstanding. The love is there. We just must choose to take it or put it on!  In this case, it’s ok to get a little greedy. He’s passing out gifts, for those who choose to take. And he’s got kingdoms stuff to do for those who choose to participate. He’s got lavish love and what we want, if we will just partake.

 So, I have decided, to put on his sweatshirt, to let his love change my view, and the things I choose to do. And dear reader, I hope you do too !

 Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.