Many times, we misquote scripture for our own benefits, and to fit it into our lifestyles or our ways of thinking, instead of allowing the scripture to take our filthy lives and make it useful and glorious to be presented before the Father. Other times, we simply misquote scripture because we never really learned it, but we just got it ‘passed down,’ For example- there were not just 2 of every animal on Noah’s Ark, but 2 of the unclean, AND 7 of the clean pairs. (Genesis 7:2-3-read it, It’s true!) And yet, even more often we take from the meaning our own judgments and translations, and then take it out of the context and content that it was used. For this passage, we will deal with the latter one. I also misquoted this scripture out of ignorance, but in my quiet time I decided to get understanding….hopefully this will bless you, like it blessed me.
Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and inherits the favor of the Lord.
Now everyone knows this scripture, but have you ever researched it? We have been taught that this clarifies that THE MAN is supposed to FIND the WIFE, and we use it to justify why a woman should not be looking for a man. Now on the superficial, this is one interpretation of the scripture, but it goes so much deeper than just this. Let’s take it word for word:
HE: On first thought, this is thought to mean just a man…But looking deeper this is the same HE that is used to describe Adam, Joseph and David. This HE is not just a male, but this is a male that has the mental capabilities of love, one that is set financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically to provide for a wife. The mental capacity to love comes from many sources; spirituality, maturity, respect, etc. It DOES NOT come from emotion. If love is based on emotion it is based on the maturity level of a teenager and most likely will falter in time, when the emotions subside. The Hebrew here refers specifically to men who have reached the mental capacity to love a woman with agape love- as God intended. This is a HE that is prepared for the responsibility of a wife and a family. The man who separates himself and seeks wisdom. HE must be ready for the serious and great task of loving a woman as Christ loves the Church, respecting her and honoring her as the weaker partner. (1 Peter 3:7) This HE is one who is serving the Lord in full capacity NOW as a single male. From this interpretation, many males don’t fit the characteristics of the HE, so therefore should not be looking.
That FINDS: Now this word is interesting because it does not take from the definition of the act of physically searching for something. Even Webster has the right definition: to discover or perceive after consideration; to come upon by chance; to become aware of, or discover (oneself), as being in a condition or location. WOW!! This means that If you are in the Path-Way, seeking the Lord, then you may happen to come upon, or discover your wife or husband to be, while in the Path-Way. Joseph was given his wife. Adam and David likewise did nothing to deserve their wives. You are directly in the focus of pursuing God and on the path that he has set, and when you are in the right location and condition, you may happen upon that appointed person.
A WIFE: Now this is not just referring to just a female. But this is referring to a woman that is worthy to be called by such a honorable name. A wife is esteemed, so therefore this label will not apply to all women. This wife is a jewel of great value, a rare jewel; he has found that one which will not only contribute more than anything to his comfort in this life, but will forward him in the way to heaven. This means if you are not praying and serving God now, single- you probably won’t start magically when you get married. It also refers to taking care of the responsibilities of the household and fulfilling your wifely roles-cooking, cleaning, caring for the family,e tc. (For those of you that are all for the Women’s Movement, Liberations, Equal Responsibilities and Roles-It may work (and should) in the Office World, but has no relevance or authority over God’s Word. WE STILL HAVE ROLES (Proverbs 31:10-31, Titus 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:22.I Peter 3:1-6) I didn’t write it, I’m just quoting it! This definition also has to do with THE MAN’s capacity to love that particular woman! “A good wife” is a woman the man recognizes as one whom he has the mental capacity to love. That is to say, a woman whom, through the ultimate source of the man’s soul, he would protect at all cost. I’m not just talking about protecting from physical harm. I’m talking about protection from defamation. That’s heavy.
Finds a GOOD THING: Now just because you are a female, and you get married, doesn’t mean that you will be a ‘good thing.’ In order to meet these qualifications you have to first meet the criteria of a WIFE. That means you also have to have your stuff together, and not just sitting around waiting on your life to start when your ‘Boaz’ shows up. To be FOUND, you have to be traveling in the same direction that HE was traveling-a path directed and ordained for God’s glory. Proverbs 31:12 She brings him GOOD all the days of his life. So are you living as a good thing right now? The Hebrew goes on to infer that the only way a man can, through the ultimate source of his soul, give his mental capacity of love to a woman, is if he recognizes in her, the ability to respond to his love. Women are designed by God to be the responders to a man’s love. So, “a good wife” is a woman who is capable of receiving from the ultimate source of a man’s soul, his mental attitude of love, and responding in kind.
And inherits the FAVOUR of the Lord: This is one of those ‘if,then’ clauses. IF, all the criteria are met before the ‘comma’, then you will receive the blessings after it. Favour - Obtains her not by his own diligence, but by God's good providence. Meaning that you can’t sway God’s hand or speed up his timing, but when and if He so sees fit, he will bestow it upon you.
I pray that you received this as a Word and use it to change your mindset and focus, if you (as I did) misinterpretated this scripture, or confirmation if this has already been revealed to you.
I love you, but HE LOVES YOU MORE!
References: The Hebrew Bible, Pastor Monty Rainey, 1voicecrying.wordpress.com/.../proverbs-1822-finding-a-wife/, HOLY SPIRIT
Friday, November 18, 2011
Irreplaceable, you're not...
Recently, in my quiet time I was reminded of this song and the complete relevance of it to our call as a Christian. Have you ever had those moments that God was telling you to do something, and you knew it was God, because it was absolutely impossible to do it on your own, and it was in line with His character to ask this of you, and you were like, “Shoot!!! Ummmm, awwww, do you really mean me? I mean, do you mean like do it or DO IT?’ I mean I’m just saying, fa real God?” Trying to bargain with God to get out of our assignment, because it doesn’t fit in what we think is our comfort zone. I will admit that I have! To quote one of my favorite movies: AS IF!!! There is no way that my mediocre mind or thoughts could ever imagine what God has in store for me. By even trying, I’m limiting Him in the amazing blessings that He has in store for me, on the other side of the Mountain.
So, back to the devotional: This song correlates with this situation very closely. In the song, Beyonce is fed-up. She’s tired of him coming and going as he pleases, and having no respect for everything she has done for me. It’s time for her to move on, without him, and she is confident he will miss her, before she misses him. I think you can use your spiritual eyes to see where I’m taking this. Let’s dissect the song according to scripture:
TO THE LEFT:
Genesis 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I will go to the right- if you go to the right, I will go to the left.
Background: Abraham and Lot’s people were arguing about territory so Abraham decided that it was best that they part ways. He gave Lot his choice- surprisingly (or is it) Lot chose the area of Sodom and Gomorrah. And we all know what happened there.
IN THE CLOSET THAT’S MY STUFF-
Psalm 50: 9-11 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.
1 Corinthians 10:26, Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…
Basically, everything is his! Everything was created by Him, through Him and for His use.
IF I BOUGHT IT PLEASE DON’T TOUCH:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know…you are not your own, you were bought at a price.
1 Chronicles 16:22, Psalm 105:15 Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm
Genesis 3:3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
God is very specific about what is his! He makes no apologies for killing those that touched the Ark of the Covenant, or didn’t give an idle threat to Adam and Eve about not touching the Tree of Life. God gives us instructions, and because He is a gentleman, we are not consequenced without first being advised or warned of what will happen. The same goes with his people: If we are called and chosen by Him to bear His name, we are under that same covering- Paul being bit by the snake and unharmed, Pharaoh and the plaques and Israelites’ journey from Egypt, and the judgment that is to come for those that persecute and don’t believe in the Christ.
AND KEEP TALKING THAT MESS THAT’S FINE-
The whole book of Jonah for this one…I could picture Jonah whining and complaining about not wanting to go. Read Jonah 2: Our situations will allow us the time to look up and realize that we got ourselves into this, but only by repenting, submitting and calling on the Lord, can we get out of it.
1 Samuel 17:8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
Now we know what happened to both people in these situations…read on if your skeptical
BUT COULD YOU WALK AND TALK AT THE SAME TIME:
Jonah 3:1-3 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh.
1Samuel 17:50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
My past pastor (Pastor Rodgers-Hope Community Shoutout) used to say that when he was talking to his son and he told him to do something; he didn’t worry about anything that came out of his mouth as long as his feet were moving. Interpreting this: it doesn’t really matter how much we complain or gripe or whine about an assignment- we still have to carry it out. If it is ordained, we will go through it! God is not a man that He can lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. Job questioned-but he still went through- Jesus even in his flesh form asked for the cup to pass-but He was still obedient to his calling.
STANDING IN THE FRONT YARD:
Genesis 3:23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
Now, no amount of pleading and begging could get Adam or Pookie (in Beyonce’s video) back in the house once he was put out. Now although for us the story doesn’t end there and we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb-the Second Adam-it was still nothing we could do in and of ourselves to get back tight with God.
HOW I’LL NEVER EVER FIND A MAN LIKE YOU, YOU GOT ME TWISTED…I CAN HAVE ANOTHER YOU IN A MINUTE…DON’T YOU EVER FOR A SECOND GET TO THINKIN YOU’RE IRREPLACEABLE:
1Samuel 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
Joshua 1-3 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
GOD DOESN’T NEED YOU OR ME!!! I’LL SAY IT AGAIN! GOD DOESN’T NEED US!!
Now He loves us so much that He bought us back, but yet and still, He will not hesitate to dismiss you-if you refuse to be used for His glory and purpose. Saul was anointed as king but let his lust and disobedience mess things up and he was rejected and replaced in the same sentence. Moses had a similar fate! Although he brought them out of Israel TOWARDS the promise land, he never got to see it, because of his disobedience. Now all that Moses had done for the Lord, and all he gets is ‘Moses my servant is dead, Now then…’ DAWG! I mean, he didn’t get a tear, no mourning, a funeral precession or nothing! I’m just saying…don’t you think he deserved a bit more? Obviously not! Now this is not meant to say that God wasn’t pleased with Moses and had written him out of the Will (in fact, quite the contrary because he got to see the promise land (Mark 9:4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.- and if you research it this mountain was in the same territory of the Promised Land from Exodus), but it simply states that God’s work is more important than anything else! It takes precedence over everything!
God’s purpose will be accomplished and if you aren’t willing to do it, then there is a David or Joshua that is waiting on the bench to be put in the game. So to end with the beginning-don’t you ever think for a second you’re irreplaceable? Will you give it your all while you’re still in the game, of give your spot up to someone that is just waiting to take your place, and walk into your promise land?
So, back to the devotional: This song correlates with this situation very closely. In the song, Beyonce is fed-up. She’s tired of him coming and going as he pleases, and having no respect for everything she has done for me. It’s time for her to move on, without him, and she is confident he will miss her, before she misses him. I think you can use your spiritual eyes to see where I’m taking this. Let’s dissect the song according to scripture:
TO THE LEFT:
Genesis 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I will go to the right- if you go to the right, I will go to the left.
Background: Abraham and Lot’s people were arguing about territory so Abraham decided that it was best that they part ways. He gave Lot his choice- surprisingly (or is it) Lot chose the area of Sodom and Gomorrah. And we all know what happened there.
IN THE CLOSET THAT’S MY STUFF-
Psalm 50: 9-11 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.
1 Corinthians 10:26, Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…
Basically, everything is his! Everything was created by Him, through Him and for His use.
IF I BOUGHT IT PLEASE DON’T TOUCH:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know…you are not your own, you were bought at a price.
1 Chronicles 16:22, Psalm 105:15 Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm
Genesis 3:3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
God is very specific about what is his! He makes no apologies for killing those that touched the Ark of the Covenant, or didn’t give an idle threat to Adam and Eve about not touching the Tree of Life. God gives us instructions, and because He is a gentleman, we are not consequenced without first being advised or warned of what will happen. The same goes with his people: If we are called and chosen by Him to bear His name, we are under that same covering- Paul being bit by the snake and unharmed, Pharaoh and the plaques and Israelites’ journey from Egypt, and the judgment that is to come for those that persecute and don’t believe in the Christ.
AND KEEP TALKING THAT MESS THAT’S FINE-
The whole book of Jonah for this one…I could picture Jonah whining and complaining about not wanting to go. Read Jonah 2: Our situations will allow us the time to look up and realize that we got ourselves into this, but only by repenting, submitting and calling on the Lord, can we get out of it.
1 Samuel 17:8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
Now we know what happened to both people in these situations…read on if your skeptical
BUT COULD YOU WALK AND TALK AT THE SAME TIME:
Jonah 3:1-3 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh.
1Samuel 17:50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
My past pastor (Pastor Rodgers-Hope Community Shoutout) used to say that when he was talking to his son and he told him to do something; he didn’t worry about anything that came out of his mouth as long as his feet were moving. Interpreting this: it doesn’t really matter how much we complain or gripe or whine about an assignment- we still have to carry it out. If it is ordained, we will go through it! God is not a man that He can lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. Job questioned-but he still went through- Jesus even in his flesh form asked for the cup to pass-but He was still obedient to his calling.
STANDING IN THE FRONT YARD:
Genesis 3:23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
Now, no amount of pleading and begging could get Adam or Pookie (in Beyonce’s video) back in the house once he was put out. Now although for us the story doesn’t end there and we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb-the Second Adam-it was still nothing we could do in and of ourselves to get back tight with God.
HOW I’LL NEVER EVER FIND A MAN LIKE YOU, YOU GOT ME TWISTED…I CAN HAVE ANOTHER YOU IN A MINUTE…DON’T YOU EVER FOR A SECOND GET TO THINKIN YOU’RE IRREPLACEABLE:
1Samuel 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
Joshua 1-3 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
GOD DOESN’T NEED YOU OR ME!!! I’LL SAY IT AGAIN! GOD DOESN’T NEED US!!
Now He loves us so much that He bought us back, but yet and still, He will not hesitate to dismiss you-if you refuse to be used for His glory and purpose. Saul was anointed as king but let his lust and disobedience mess things up and he was rejected and replaced in the same sentence. Moses had a similar fate! Although he brought them out of Israel TOWARDS the promise land, he never got to see it, because of his disobedience. Now all that Moses had done for the Lord, and all he gets is ‘Moses my servant is dead, Now then…’ DAWG! I mean, he didn’t get a tear, no mourning, a funeral precession or nothing! I’m just saying…don’t you think he deserved a bit more? Obviously not! Now this is not meant to say that God wasn’t pleased with Moses and had written him out of the Will (in fact, quite the contrary because he got to see the promise land (Mark 9:4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.- and if you research it this mountain was in the same territory of the Promised Land from Exodus), but it simply states that God’s work is more important than anything else! It takes precedence over everything!
God’s purpose will be accomplished and if you aren’t willing to do it, then there is a David or Joshua that is waiting on the bench to be put in the game. So to end with the beginning-don’t you ever think for a second you’re irreplaceable? Will you give it your all while you’re still in the game, of give your spot up to someone that is just waiting to take your place, and walk into your promise land?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Talk to her
I was recently in a situation that I felt invisible. I wasn’t heard. I believe that the man SHOULD be the head, but I believe that it is something that many don’t know how to be, so they resort to leading with a strong arm, instead of an open heart. It doesn’t take much to win a woman’s heart, but once you lose it, it’s almost impossible to get it back. So, here are some small things, that mean the world to us. For each woman it may be different, but I believe that we all can relate to at least a few things on the list. And fellas, if you are not doing these, you might want to consider adding a few... Ladies, feel free to add to the list...
talk to her like you want someone to talk to your mama, (thanks India
have heart2hearts,
don't talk AT her-talk TO her,
make her a priority
tell her she’s beautiful- especially when she is not feeling it.
smile at her even when your upset
hold her as she cries, even if you don’t know why. We don’t need you to fix it, we just need you to be there.
allow her to make her own mistakes-and not pay for someone's elses. Remember, you’re not perfect either
don't be quick to give up on her, fight for her-not with her.
don't hold her to a standard that you can't even uphold.
be the head-but not the dictator.
make decisions not bc you can, but after consideration of how it will affect her, and BEFORE you make it.
Always open her door-even if she gets there first
When she says ‘it’s ok’- know that it’s probably anything but ok.
consider her above yourself.
discuss your fears, but listen to her concerns.
Pray FOR her & WITH her. Lead her to the throne.
Be the spiritual leader, but don’t be too spiritual to learn from her wisdom
Listen to her whine, and don’t try to fix it, just listen
Turn off the game every once and a while, just to talk to her
Grab her hand, and hold her heart
Trust her with yours
don't hear but listen. Realize that understanding doesn’t mean agreeing.
Hear with your heart and not just your head.
honor her, respect her, cherish her, and when you truly love her don't let her go.
Do this-and we will follow you to the ends of eternity...
talk to her like you want someone to talk to your mama, (thanks India
have heart2hearts,
don't talk AT her-talk TO her,
make her a priority
tell her she’s beautiful- especially when she is not feeling it.
smile at her even when your upset
hold her as she cries, even if you don’t know why. We don’t need you to fix it, we just need you to be there.
allow her to make her own mistakes-and not pay for someone's elses. Remember, you’re not perfect either
don't be quick to give up on her, fight for her-not with her.
don't hold her to a standard that you can't even uphold.
be the head-but not the dictator.
make decisions not bc you can, but after consideration of how it will affect her, and BEFORE you make it.
Always open her door-even if she gets there first
When she says ‘it’s ok’- know that it’s probably anything but ok.
consider her above yourself.
discuss your fears, but listen to her concerns.
Pray FOR her & WITH her. Lead her to the throne.
Be the spiritual leader, but don’t be too spiritual to learn from her wisdom
Listen to her whine, and don’t try to fix it, just listen
Turn off the game every once and a while, just to talk to her
Grab her hand, and hold her heart
Trust her with yours
don't hear but listen. Realize that understanding doesn’t mean agreeing.
Hear with your heart and not just your head.
honor her, respect her, cherish her, and when you truly love her don't let her go.
Do this-and we will follow you to the ends of eternity...
Are you the one or should I wait for another: Exegesis of Twilight Triangle (Bella, Jacob and Edward)
I know this is long but soooo worth the read!
So unless you have been in your own little bubble for the past 2 years, you have at least heard of the Twilight phenomenal. If you haven’t seen the movies, read the books, or joined a discussion group with many of the Twilighters this article will not make sense to you…so I will give you a little background:
In Twilight: Bella falls in love with Edward. Edward loves Bella as well, but there is a piece of him that he has to hold back from her, because she doesn’t totally fit into his world.
In New Moon: Edward leaves Bella because he realizes that she will always be in danger while he is with her, and thinks that if he leaves he is protecting her from settling for a life that is less than he believes she deserves. Bella is devastated and Jacob is there to fill in the hole left by Edward. Jacob heals her and they become really close, but it’s not enough for Bella to be with Jacob, because she has had the love of Edward. Edward comes back, and she has to put her friendship with Jacob into perspective.
In Eclipse: Bella is faced with a choice and realizes that she loves Jacob, but it’s still not enough to pull her away from what she has with Edward.
Now, that seems like a twisted high-school love triangle, and it is. But I want to take it a bit deeper. Many people fault Bella because it is assumed that she led Jacob on, but I don’t believe that is the full story. Bella knows what it’s like to be loved so unequivocally and to give that in return. She has had her Edward, and anyone else will fail in comparison to what she has with him. Their relationship was based on something more than just affection or attraction, because the simple fact that they were together, defied their very natural instincts-literally hunter falling in love with the prey and prey willing giving herself over to be hunted.
Now when Edward left, even though his intentions were right, he had to realize that Bella could have moved on. And that’s a risk that he had to take, because he believed that he was doing what was best for her, even though it was the hardest thing for him to do. So here comes Jacob. And Jacob is amazing. He’s kind and caring and patient and understanding (and not too hard on the eyes either). He doesn’t push or rush, he just lets things happen. He is there to protect her and put her back together. And Bella lets him. So I believe it was inevitable that Bella would fall for Jacob on some level, because it’s hard to have that intimate of a relationship with someone and not begin to feel something for them.
The climax of this story, I believe is when Edward comes back, and then Bella realizes that she IS in love with Jacob too. What a doosie! She has a choice to make but in her mind, there never was a choice. Yes she could be happy with Jacob and Jacob would love her unconditionally, even knowing that he would never completely have her, because part of her would always yearn for Edward. But Edward is her air. She could exist with Jacob, but would never really LIVE apart from Edward.
This is the point of this long narrative: I think we all have Jacobs. We have someone that loves us and is willing to lay down everything and do anything to fulfill everything that we need romantically, but for some reason it’s not enough. In some cases, you haven’t even met Edward, but the idea of what you could have with Edward, holds you back from just being content with Jacob, because you will always wonder if there is something greater out there. If you had just held on a little while longer, your Edward would have arrived. But then the sneaking doubt comes in-
What if Edward never comes? Or you couldn’t wait any longer and when he does come you have already chosen to ‘settle down’ with Jacob?
Could Jacob love you enough for the both of you? Could it work if he was completely devoted to you, but you were just content with him?
What if Jacob was really YOUR Edward, but because he knew that he could never fully have you, he never stepped up to those inward Edward qualities that he always possessed?
What if all Jacob needed was for you to love him completely, to become Edward?
And then what happens if you choose Jacob and because he realizes that while you are his trophy, he is only your consolation prize- so he goes in search of his Renesmee? (for those that don’t know this is who Jacob falls in love ‘imprints’ with).
Then where does that leave you?
I believe that Jacob can only be Jacob, Edward can only be Edward, and Bella will always be Bella.
The lure of what I could have with Edward is enough to hold me back, from settling for Jacob. Not that choosing Jacob wouldn’t make me happy, but I would miss out on my Edward, my air, my reason for loving, my other whole that makes me whole. Sometimes I do worry that Edward won’t come and Jacob will wise up and go to find someone to love him the way he loves me, but that’s a chance I will have to take. Because honestly- just the dream of Edward is more than the reality of Jacob.
2 footnotes:
Comments are welcome! Thanks for reading it.
So unless you have been in your own little bubble for the past 2 years, you have at least heard of the Twilight phenomenal. If you haven’t seen the movies, read the books, or joined a discussion group with many of the Twilighters this article will not make sense to you…so I will give you a little background:
In Twilight: Bella falls in love with Edward. Edward loves Bella as well, but there is a piece of him that he has to hold back from her, because she doesn’t totally fit into his world.
In New Moon: Edward leaves Bella because he realizes that she will always be in danger while he is with her, and thinks that if he leaves he is protecting her from settling for a life that is less than he believes she deserves. Bella is devastated and Jacob is there to fill in the hole left by Edward. Jacob heals her and they become really close, but it’s not enough for Bella to be with Jacob, because she has had the love of Edward. Edward comes back, and she has to put her friendship with Jacob into perspective.
In Eclipse: Bella is faced with a choice and realizes that she loves Jacob, but it’s still not enough to pull her away from what she has with Edward.
Now, that seems like a twisted high-school love triangle, and it is. But I want to take it a bit deeper. Many people fault Bella because it is assumed that she led Jacob on, but I don’t believe that is the full story. Bella knows what it’s like to be loved so unequivocally and to give that in return. She has had her Edward, and anyone else will fail in comparison to what she has with him. Their relationship was based on something more than just affection or attraction, because the simple fact that they were together, defied their very natural instincts-literally hunter falling in love with the prey and prey willing giving herself over to be hunted.
Now when Edward left, even though his intentions were right, he had to realize that Bella could have moved on. And that’s a risk that he had to take, because he believed that he was doing what was best for her, even though it was the hardest thing for him to do. So here comes Jacob. And Jacob is amazing. He’s kind and caring and patient and understanding (and not too hard on the eyes either). He doesn’t push or rush, he just lets things happen. He is there to protect her and put her back together. And Bella lets him. So I believe it was inevitable that Bella would fall for Jacob on some level, because it’s hard to have that intimate of a relationship with someone and not begin to feel something for them.
The climax of this story, I believe is when Edward comes back, and then Bella realizes that she IS in love with Jacob too. What a doosie! She has a choice to make but in her mind, there never was a choice. Yes she could be happy with Jacob and Jacob would love her unconditionally, even knowing that he would never completely have her, because part of her would always yearn for Edward. But Edward is her air. She could exist with Jacob, but would never really LIVE apart from Edward.
This is the point of this long narrative: I think we all have Jacobs. We have someone that loves us and is willing to lay down everything and do anything to fulfill everything that we need romantically, but for some reason it’s not enough. In some cases, you haven’t even met Edward, but the idea of what you could have with Edward, holds you back from just being content with Jacob, because you will always wonder if there is something greater out there. If you had just held on a little while longer, your Edward would have arrived. But then the sneaking doubt comes in-
What if Edward never comes? Or you couldn’t wait any longer and when he does come you have already chosen to ‘settle down’ with Jacob?
Could Jacob love you enough for the both of you? Could it work if he was completely devoted to you, but you were just content with him?
What if Jacob was really YOUR Edward, but because he knew that he could never fully have you, he never stepped up to those inward Edward qualities that he always possessed?
What if all Jacob needed was for you to love him completely, to become Edward?
And then what happens if you choose Jacob and because he realizes that while you are his trophy, he is only your consolation prize- so he goes in search of his Renesmee? (for those that don’t know this is who Jacob falls in love ‘imprints’ with).
Then where does that leave you?
I believe that Jacob can only be Jacob, Edward can only be Edward, and Bella will always be Bella.
The lure of what I could have with Edward is enough to hold me back, from settling for Jacob. Not that choosing Jacob wouldn’t make me happy, but I would miss out on my Edward, my air, my reason for loving, my other whole that makes me whole. Sometimes I do worry that Edward won’t come and Jacob will wise up and go to find someone to love him the way he loves me, but that’s a chance I will have to take. Because honestly- just the dream of Edward is more than the reality of Jacob.
2 footnotes:
- Bella and Jacob and Edward are not meant to be male or female here. They represent the ideas of who they are. So a male can most definitely be in the situation of Bella and vice versa.
- Please don’t turn this into a ‘what God has for me is for me’ discussion. Please just accept it for what it is- an analogy of a movie that I love, that happens to hold a deeper truth for me.
Comments are welcome! Thanks for reading it.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
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