Whatevs!

 “Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!”


Sounds soooooo romantic, right?

Many couples have sung the song written using these words on their wedding day and I bet none of them would want to sing it in its original context. These words have been spoken by a widowed daughter-in-law to her widowed mother-in-law. Scroll up and read it again. Crazy, na?!

(To check out the whole story of this history making duo, click here Ruth (and Naomi)

Yep. I would really like to meet a modern daughter-in-law brave enough to sing these words to her mother-in-law on her wedding day.

In fact, even singing it to your spouse on your wedding day and meaning it, knowing what it really means is a VERY big deal. A dear old friend of mine, told me gleefully that if she had known on her wedding day, WHAT those wedding vows would entail, she would have picked up her gown and ran in the opposite direction from the altar. So maybe, it's actually a good thing that no one really knows what it's going to cost them to make and keep those vows when they make them.

 

But the biggest deal of all, I think, is saying these words to Jesus and meaning it:


Wherever you lead me.

Whoever you call me to love.

Whatever you ask of me.

However much it costs.

Whenever you choose to make this happen.


I'm in. I'm yours.


As a follower of Jesus, I can earnestly tell you there have been many times that I've rolled my eyes at Him and said "Whatevs!" In case, you haven't heard, that's the teenage way of acknowledging that the person directing you is absolutely right but you cannot bear to admit it.


So yeah.

He asked me to give that up. Whatevs.

He asked me to stay put. Whatevs.

He asked me to hold my tongue. Whatevs.


With all my great intellect, wisdom and experience, I can't see how any of this is going to lead to anything good ! But whatevs! Afterall, you're God, right?!!


But when the teenage tantrum passes, and I'm no better off with all the eye-rolling, its time to humbly acknowledge that true love means:


  • acknowledging what it's costing you now,

  • acknowledging that you don't even know how much more it's going to cost you

  • and still saying, with all your heart:

    Whatever, Lord. I'm in.


Because no matter what's going on in my world and in the world right now,

"We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28



If you can't see the video, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52SZo0QADSQ

 












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