One of The Salvation Army’s distinctives is that officers marry other officers. In my case, I met my wife to be when I was in the School for Officers Training in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was studying to become an officer, and she wasn’t yet one. When commissioned, I was appointed to the city of Joinville, about 600 km from São Paulo, and my loved one entered the Training School.
My feelings for her were so intense that one Monday off, I woke up very early and drove to Sao Paulo just to be able to see her for 15 minutes and then drove back to be in my appointment on the next day. I drove 1.200 km to see my loved one for only 15 minutes, but it was worth it, for the next day I was energized to continue (having in mind that in those days the roads and my car weren’t like today’s).
Certainly, we all have our own love story, some romantic madness that we’ve done in the past. Today my wife and I have been married for 39 years and our feelings for each other are stronger than ever, but it would be very difficult for me to drive 1.200 km to see her for only 15 minutes, I would probably video call her instead.
Interesting that the reproach received by Ephesus church in the book of Revelations is that they “had forsaken their first love”. It is not uncommon that at conversion an extreme love invades our life, making us walk on clouds, however with time, our love for the Lord and his house seems to vanish. For the Ephesus church the orientation was to go back doing the things they did in the beginning.
During this Valentine’s season, let us follow that Biblical instruction and revive our first love—the first love for our spouse, but mainly and foremost, our first love for the Lord.
·How many acts of madness for love have you done in the past?
· Is your love for the Lord still the same?
(First love, Revelation 2:4-5 / Love for God, Matthew 22:36-37)