By Robert Bestwick
Just as love goes through stages, so does faith. It seems obvious since both are intrinsically connected. One cannot exist without the other because love is an act of faith, and faith is an act of love. It is curious when we are not in love how we crave that feeling to the point we dream of that state of infatuation and the dizzying sensation it provides. Those who have had the fortune to love in this way know that butterflies do not last forever and that love matures. We soon take it for granted and seldom stop to recognize its value in our lives. As a constant presence, it becomes invisible to the senses.
Similar to the drawing your child made for Father’s Day, which you proudly put on the refrigerator to see every day, but after a while, you don’t even notice it when you go to get the milk. Until the day it disappears, then you’ll notice it is gone and – here is the curious part- you’ll probably appreciate it more than ever. I spent time with my dad; I loved him in the way that only he deserved, and those who know me know how important he was in my life. For 41 years, I loved him in person, but the importance of his love was drowned out by day-to-day life. It was love, so constant that one grows blind to it – until it’s gone.
This experience is no different for those of us who fall in love with God. At first, we are overwhelmed to know the merciful love of God and pledge our lives to serve him. Over time we grow so accustomed to his grace that our hearts grow numb, and we no longer cherish it. The passion is dulled by the daily tasks. We stick his love letter on the fridge door but eventually stop feeling the butterflies from the first encounter.
How wonderful that God’s feelings for us do not fade over time. Psalm 118 reminds us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!