Permit Me to Love You

Permit me to love you; yes, you over there. Your eyes are wary. You are shy and pretty nervous. You fidget, and your body language is misleading. You don't know me, and I don't know you either. Still, permit me to love you. Allow me to get close to you, to feel you, to understand you; to bridge the differential gap between us. Let us build a relationship with each other. And let the relationship be real. I don't want to be suspicious of you, and I don't want you to be suspicious of me either. I want us to be on the same page always. I want to trust you, and truly care about you. Do permit me to love you. 

We are children of the same God, which makes us siblings. Regardless of where you come from, what you look like, what you believe or what you think - we are the same. Our essence - humanity - is separate from our human body. Just ask Descartes and he'll tell you. He calls us thinking things. You must have heard him say after long study: Dubito ergo cogito. Cogito, ergo sum. We come therefore, after a long period of doubt, to embrace the reality of our unity. We come after a period of testing the waters to embrace the purity of Godly affection. We come after a period of strenuous waiting to drink at the fountain of happiness, consequent on our mutual acceptance and understanding; our mutual faith and consolation; our mutual hope and love in the greatness of tomorrow. Permit me to stay.

The world about us is kept alive by our father. Everything remains "alive in God." He is the one that starts everything, and everything will end in him. He is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2). He is "the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 22:13). And if such a great and omnipotent deity can love us, then we can definitely "risk loving too." Let us not be insecure; let us love, and live in harmony with each other. Let us embrace this exciting prospect of mutual love. God the powerful father fills us with love, and with the desire to love. The air, the land, the seas; the trees, the animals, the people; the seasons, the currents, the eras - all bow to his all-powerful will. The universe is alert to his agility. Instructing them in grace, he makes all things endure in perfection. Permit me to believe.

With you, I will pay attention to the working of the spirit within. With you, I will reach out to the needy; with you I will look beyond my nose. With you I will be sensitive: I will notice the birds fly; I will notice the squirrel scurrying away and up the tree; I will notice the pupa become a moth. I will notice when you've got your hair done; I will notice the fragrance of your perfume; I will notice that you recently got promoted at work - how did you swing that, by the way! Good job, fellow! I will remember that your kids have a softball game on Saturday. I will notice that your dad is coming to stay the weekend as he prepares for his long trip overseas. I will notice that your mom is suffering from ovarian cancer, and needs all the prayers she can get. I will storm heaven on her behalf. Ah, your mother! Poor woman. I sigh; my heart reaches out to her. But don't worry, sibling. I will pray. I will really pray. Permit me to pray.

It will be well for us. Life will indeed be victorious. Do you worry? Do you fret? Come on, don't worry. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path" (Prov. 3:5-6). God never forsakes his own. Don't you recall what he said in Isaiah? He said that even if a mother could forget the child at her breast, he the Lord would never forget us. And that includes you, sibling. You simply have to believe. You simply have to trust. You've got this. As you face the interviewers for your new loan, just remember that you have a powerful support in God. As you plan to change jobs so as to consolidate your earning potential, just rely on the eternal power that can never fail you. As you seek to expand your investment portfolio, just understand that God cares what you do, and will "bless the works of your fingers" (Deut. 28:12). Permit me to hope.

With you, I will sing for joy as your life begins to flourish. With you, I will rejoice as all your dreams definitely come true. With you, I will frisk about gleefully as your "cup runs over" (Psalm 23:5). With you, I will document the blessings. We will sit at your kitchen table and think about everything God has done for you and your family. We will celebrate all your victories and successes. We will thank God for all his manifold gifts, and anticipate even more. We will shake hands over glasses of sparkling wine. We will call the neighbors in and have a cookout. We will praise God for his kindness that "surpasses all we ever knew of him" (Phil. 4:7). We will tell the stories of joy that our lives will have become. It will not be long before the stories pile up so high that telling them becomes a chore. Our God is an awesome, benevolent, omnipotent, caring God. Permit me to declare it on your behalf. 

And permit me to sing. The birds supply a chorus. The song is upbeat and lively. It corresponds to the joyful staccato of my heart. It is a thunderous alleluia that reverberates loudly. Do you hear it? I'm sure you do. The joyful beat is occasioned by the bounty of the day; the arrival of the long-expected blessing from on high. We are still at your kitchen table. We are making out invitations to the neighbors to come celebrate. We want the feast to be well attended. There is much joy to share; much joy to spread about. We won't layer it on thinly; we won't be miserly with the excitement we experience. We will dance with gusto; we will play with frenzy. People will wonder at us. How come they're so happy? they will ask. And yes, how come we're so happy? How is it we have so much to celebrate? Permit me to wonder.