The Beauty of Love As It Was Made To Be

The title of this post comes from the lyrics to a Mumford and Sons song.  That line from "Sigh No More" really sums up my feelings about life right now.

(If you haven't yet discovered Mumford and Sons, go look them up and join the joyous bandwagon of happy ears.  They're amazing.  And they love Jesus on top of it all, not that they're all "Ima hit you over the head with Jesus as I sing to you" but rather they're like "Ima sing this awesome song and there is a Jesus reference that you can ignore if you must, but it's up to you."  Their sound is hopeful, heartbroken, and folksy.)

My cousin and his wife are expecting bundle'o'joy #2 any day now, and the beautiful love flowing in and around that family absolutely delights me.  Her charming blog describes the excitement and joy that they're feeling while waiting on baby Wiley (how about THAT for a precious southern name--I love it).  Watching their family grow in love and in numbers is such a blessing.  Seeing it in a third party kind of way makes me miss, love, and appreciate even more my own immediate family (who I get to see in about 48 hours :D).

Exhibit B of "the beauty of love as it was made to be" makes me smile real big and blush a little.  I'm delighted to say that I'm blessed with a Christ-centered relationship with a charming, sweet, humble, loving man.  I've never met anybody like him--it took about 2 weeks before I conceded that he was a real person.  I'm also delighted to say that he has a very high friend-approval rating, something that I've learned is incredibly important, especially considering how rock-awesome my friends are.  I could talk on and on about this subject, but I'll save you the sap ;)

Exhibit C of beautiful love is, actually, my dear friends.  First off, this is the best living situation I've ever been in, and they've been getting progressively more awesome since freshman year.  If you'd told me freshman year that I would end up joyously living with 3 other theatre girls in a house, with 3 of us sharing a rather small bathroom, I would have given you the eyebrow and laughed in your face.  But that's where I am now and I absolutely love it.  Three better roommates you've never met, and this house is super cute.  I also may or may not have a really precious black kitty cat who lives with us.  Who may or may not currently be lounging behind my computer watching the cars go past outside. 

Anywho.  Other dear friends, such as Lindsay, Meg, Mollie, and Karen, make life more vibrant for me.  I love the different ways that each friend helps, influences, or encourages me.  My community really is like the church when it's called "the body of Christ"--every person plays a role based on the gifts and talents that they have, and each one strengthens the body as a whole in a unique way.  What would I do without Mama Syd's prophetic words of wisdom?  My sweet Jane is hundreds of miles away, but my sister Meg is right here in Fort Worth!  And I can't go a week without getting an update from Lindsay, even if that update always involves an illness.

Basically, today I was overwhelmed with gratitude at this awesome place I've found myself in, and I want to encourage you to consider the sweet little message in this song (that I loathed for years, but now I see why God snuck that one into my life):

Taking stock of what I have
and what I haven't
What do I find?
The things I've got will keep me satisfied

Checking up on what I have
and what I haven't
What do I find?
A healthy balance on the credit side.

Got no diamond
Got no pearl
Still I think I'm a lucky girl
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
Got no mansion 
Got no yacht
Still I'm happy with what I've got
I got he sun in the morning and the moon at night

Sunshine gives me a lovely day
Moonlight gives me the milkyway

Got no checkbooks
Got no banks
Still I'd like to express my thanks
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
And with the sun in the morning and the moon in the evening
I'm all right