Settling Down

When I met my wife I immediately knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. There was something about her that put me at ease; I honestly don't know how to explain it. The best I can do is tell you the story of our first date.

We went to a local restaurant for some coffee and just to talk. I was excited, a little nervous, even a bit shy. My last relationship ended in a divorce which hurt me for a long time, so I was also careful to not let my guard down. We sat in a booth, ordered coffee and maybe some food (I really don't remember that part) and we began to talk.

Where did you go to school? How many in your family? Where did you grow up? What do you think about...? What do you say is...? Who is your favorite...?

Questions like that came from both sides, each of us doing the getting-to-know-you dance. It didn't take long until I realized I was doing all the talking, and not feeling the least bit guarded about letting someone I had only known for maybe a week get to know me this well. As she sat and listened I saw in her eye a happiness which lit my heart. I remember thinking, at that moment, I want to be like this, to feel like this, for the rest of my life. 


We dated, we moved in together, we got married and 16 years after the day we met I still feel like I did on that first date. I'm not saying it was easy. We had our problems, as do all couples, but we never gave up on each other. We talked, got help, talked more, cried, hugged, accepted, and forgave our way through everything that threatened to separate us from each other.


Our love lives in our whole self. It is in our minds, souls, body, and heart. It mostly lives in the heart, but goes to visit those other places when necessary. I can't think of being with anyone else, nor do I want to. I am settled down and settled in; and very happy.

In 2 Samuel 7:1-14 God asks David, and David agrees, to build a place where God could live. I like how God describes being here and there and everywhere and now it's time for him to have one place where he can just be. Sounds to me like God wants to settle down.

You know what, God does want to settle down, and God wants to settle down in you. God wants to live in your mind, soul, body, and heart. Let those places within you be a house for God. How awesome would that be; to settle down with God.