Volleyball Beauty

The game of volleyball at our college was over between the 809 Girls and the Schmidt Hall Boys. As Julia was rolling up the net from one end and me from the other, I was captivated by her 19-year-old, suntanned, flushed-from-exuberant-play beauty. Suddenly the closer we got to the middle of the net, the urge to kiss her became overwhelming. At the middle, time stopped as we stood there gazing into each other’s eyes, I wondered if she felt the same.

Yes, she did! There was no kiss in that time-stopped moment but later I learned Julia felt the same rush of joy at the thought of embracing this boy coming with the other end of the net. And so, countless meeting-in-the-middle moments later, I write to say, “Thank you God for my beautiful Julia and the oneness and love we found in moving toward one another—closing the distance until time stopped and we were one.”

The Fine Linen

In our home, the laundry was an event—when it came to the sheets.

It started at the very ordinary laundry basket with one of us handing one end of the sheet to the other—in joyful memory of that volleyball game where we met in the middle. Then, the process of folding toward the middle would begin. Julia would count the folds, each moment of that movement toward the middle, worthy of a kiss. At the end of the folding, where we met in the middle, there was, well you know, not the longing only but the kiss, the kiss times all the folds.

In a similar way, today we press on toward meeting in the middle with Christ—what becomes our home forever with Him. And now He works and prays with longing for us as He folds the net of time—each fold, each turn of the day, each turn of life events—into an opportunity to celebrate a blessed union with each of us forever.

When the Bible describes righteousness and peace kissing in God’s Kingdom of His Son…

• It is His Peace welcoming his child-made-righteous-in-Christ into a timeless, holy embrace.
• It is His Moving toward me, and me moving toward him, to close the gap between us.
• It is His Love and Splendor-in-holiness drawing me, and me, captivated by a passion to know Him, searching out ways to surrender to Him in all things.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Psalm 85:9-11 ESV

Oh, the joy!

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Revelation 19:6-8 ESV

“’I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” Revelation 22:16-18 ESV

Oh, the joy, the anticipation of seeing my beautiful bride, Julia, once again in that blessed union Christ is preparing. I’m folding up the moments until then. Is she? Yes, of course!!!

Additional Resources

• Some Where Beyond the Blue – Stuart Hamblen
• One Day – Redman
• Until Then – Stuart Hamblen