10 PM Acts of Heroism.

For those of you are following my 21 Days of Romance, then you already know the desperation behind my quest, how it started with my cacti legs and gestures of affection lost between the crib and the kitchen sink. Here is my story: the hearted flag has been staked into the soil. I am reclaiming.

A couple weeks ago a little 3 by 3 card was placed in my hands from my youngest daughter, made out of one square of toilet paper. (It didn’t speak deep sentiment, but it was the only multi-purpose card I’ve ever received, and there’s something to be said for that, right?) I receive these little tokens of affection, and it really doesn’t matter that they are imperfect. It’s not the point—love is the point. Love is received. That’s why a long pony-beaded key chain hung beside my steering wheel till it broke and filled my purse with the florescent balls.  That is why paper flowers sit on my bookcase, and homemade magnets hold childrens’ handiwork on my needing-to-be-cleaned-out fridge. In their unmaterialistic ways, the girls express their love through scraps of paper cards, uneven stitches, or arms tight about my waist. They desire not to just have hearts full of love, but to show their love too. We’re never too young to give tokens of love. Our desire to give and receive affection is sometimes born out of the smallest hearts, emptiest hearts, youngest, oldest, poured from the fullest hearts too.

At the altar, love is pledged through golden (and hopefully sparkling) tokens, symbols of lifelong love.

So as I’m seeking to find evidence of romance in His word, of heart swelling love, I’m beginning to see that God is an even bigger romantic than me. His is a romance novel, full of purest love. From Song of Solomon 1:2:

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love [dôd: by implication a love token] is better than wine.” (Kisses are always an excellent choice for love tokens.)

There are many story lines in the Bible by which love, affection, is shown through or as a token of love.

In 1 Samuel 1:5 we read that Elkanah loved Hannah. “But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.”

In Genesis 37:3, a familiar story, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.”

In Gen 24:14 Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. The servant says, “Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master…And when she Rebecca had come, and had done this, the servant gives her tokens, “When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels…”

And no token of love compares with God’s, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

This gift was given in pure love. This gift required sacrifice, counting the need of all of humanity as worth the cost: a cruel death for His only Son. My gifts are so small in comparison, but may they echo the same sentiment of tangible love given solely for others gain.

It’s hard to love without showing it. If love amounts to anything, than it is worth sacrifice, worth expressing. And it doesn’t take fireworks. Sometimes it only takes a square of toilet paper. A few-minutes-to-myself bath. A take-the-kids-out-so-you-rest nap. A cleaned-out-your-closet-so-you-can-find-things-again afternoon. A get-up-with-the-kids sleep in. Chocolate. A picked up diapers (and your favorite cookies) at 10 pm act of heroism. Tokens hold many currency values, and come in different sizes.

Lord, may I not overlook the tokens of love which surround me, nor be blind to the Token of Your overflowing love. May I not give bad tokens: tokens of hurt, tokens bitter to the taste. May they be good gifts, humbly knowing how much better are Yours and how freely given. May I not lock away Your tokens, but spend them wisely, investing Your love right back into others. Investing yields the greatest returns.

Romance: expressions of love, Your expression greatest of all, a love sonnet for all of time. Romance whispered again into my heart through Your word.

Joining me? Romancing your spouse for 20 more days, or just one? Here are a few day two tokens to burn a hole in your pocket:

A lipstick kiss on the rear view mirror of his car, trash removed, (not that there is ever any trash,) and a love note on the steering wheel: send them into their day loved.

Sticking clean socks in his drawer today? Stick a small gift or note (Starbucks card?) inside: love found in mundane moments

Or, host an impromptu date night, post childrens' bedtimes, with a “man show” to watch with him, served up with a favorite bowl of ice cream or snack: the quickest way to their hearts is through their stomach, right?

(That is of course, if you’re not the stand outside his window and serenade with a violin kind of girl. )

Got any of your own golden tokens to share with us too?

 To see Day 1, Uh oh, I Didn't Shave My Legs, what got this whole thing started, link up here: