Adorable
“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.” Song of Solomon 7:10 KJV
I was just finishing up one wonderful meal. As I rubbed my belly I blurted out, “I think that might have been the best meal I’ve ever had in my entire life.” My step-daughter turned to me and said, “You say that about every meal.” I don’t believe I say that about every meal because I’ve had some pretty bad meals in my lifetime. I would go so far to say most meals I’ve ever eaten have been pretty much average. After my step-daughter said that though, I noticed that I do say that a lot about really good meals I have just eaten.
Words are a funny thing. If we use a word or combination of words too often they can lose their luster. I think each of us has those very special words we use on only very special occasions. The “Wow!” factor really needs to be there for us to use them. In the Bible I get that feeling when I read or hear the word “behold.” It’s like when I hear or read that word, I automatically go, “Oh no, what’s going to happen now.”
One of those words I rarely use, but I really believe is a great one-word expression, is “adore.” In fact, I can only think of one person I’ve ever actually used it on. That person is my wife. It really expresses exactly how I feel about her. If she walks into a room, laughs, tells me about her day, or even when she turns her eyes up at me when I say something stupid, I can’t help but be proud to be in her presence. I look at her life and I’m amazed how she refuses to be bitter or angry even in the most difficult situations. She has raised two wonderful girls even though they were very difficult times for her. She’s not into taking selfies; she would rather just be in the picture with those she loves, which is pretty much a reflection of her life. She’s amazing and I absolutely adore her.
She was a beautiful young lady named Martha. She was a slender brunette with hazel eyes and she only stood about five feet tall. She came from a wealthy family and was well educated, a fine dancer, a wonderful musician, and warm hearted. She was married once before to an attorney named Bathurst Skelton for three years. He died of a sudden illness. They had a son, named John, who died shortly after his dad at age three.
He was a little over a foot taller than she was. He stood a little over six feet two inches tall. He was doing quite well for himself as an attorney. He started building a little home for himself up in the mountains. He fell deeply in love with her and at the age of twenty-eight years old he married this beautiful young lady on New Year’s Day. Most people agree that he absolutely adored his young bride.
He was a man on a mission. He needed a wife and he left his home and began a journey to find one. He came upon a field which had flocks of sheep. He noticed the sheep had gathered around a well. There was a giant stone on top of the well. You can almost hear the music from the movie soundtrack as a beautiful young lady comes strolling over the hill with her long flowing hair dancing in the wind to the beat of the music. His eyes got those big stars in them, like you see in a cartoon character. He was in love.
He found out that she was a shepherd and had come to water her sheep. With a puffed out chest and muscles that were probably bulging, he helped remove the stone and gathered water to help her with her sheep. She took him home to Daddy and she bragged about his efforts. He turned to her father and said, “Sir, I want to marry your daughter.” Her Dad said, “Sure son, but it’s going to cost you seven years of labor before you can marry her.” He said, “Wow! That sounds like a bargain because you would not believe how in love I am with your daughter.” And so he went to work for seven years to win the love of his life.
Two weeks after Thomas Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton the two of them set out for the 100-mile journey to Monticello. One of the worst snow storms ever to hit the east coast happened during this journey. They had to finally abandon their carriage and unhitch the two horses and ride horse back for the rest of the journey. About 4-1/2 years after their marriage, Thomas Jefferson would write the Declaration of Independence. They would have six children together, but only two of them, daughters, would survive into adulthood.
After a really rough bout of being the Governor of Virginia, Jefferson decided to retire from politics. Jefferson was still only in his thirties. Martha Jefferson had a really tough time with the birth of their sixth and final child. Thomas Jefferson couldn’t bear to think of what his life would be like without her. Because of the struggles from that childbirth, for four long months, Thomas rarely left her bedside. Then Martha died. Thomas Jefferson was devastated. For three long weeks he rarely came out of his room. It would be about six more months before he was even ready to face the world again and that was because he knew he had to be there for his three young daughters. Thomas would promise his wife on her deathbed that he would never marry again. Although he was only thirty-nine years old, and would live to be eighty-three years old, he kept that promise and never married again.
Jacob was so excited when his seven-year tenure was over and he could marry the love of his life Rachel. But her father, Laban, pulled a fast one on him and substituted his older daughter, Leah, in her place. When Jacob found out he was livid. Laban explained that their custom was the older daughter had to be married off before the younger daughter could get married. Then Laban said, “I’ll make you a deal. Give me a week and I’ll give you the other daughter, the one you really want, Rachel, but you are going to have to work another seven years for her.” Jacob loved Rachel so much that he was willing to do almost anything to have her become his wife. So he agreed to Laban’s terms and served another seven years under his father-in-law.
In life’s path there sometimes steps that rare individual who brings out feelings that make us feel so much better than we have ever felt before. You might say we absolutely adore them. If you are as lucky as Thomas Jefferson, Jacob or myself to have someone just like that, you need to make sure you thank God for them.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, Thank You so much for my wife, Cathy. Thank You for letting someone who so inspires me be part of my daily life. Please let me always be the person she needs, too. Amen.
