June 2017

Ahh, June! Can you feel the difference? This month brings a lot of joys to mind. As a child, it was the first month of summer vacation and plans were hatched out with friends as to how we would spend our summer. However, I don’t think summer vacation joys were limited to the students. I am sure our teachers, love us as they might, were ready for a break from spending nine months locked in a battle of the wills with all the children in their classroom. It may be my memory playing tricks on me but it seemed that the teachers step had more buoyancy in September than it did in late May. Then there are the days and special observances for this month that sometimes makes us wonder how they came to be. Did you know June was National Accordion Awareness Month? We also have hug your cat day and national selfie day plus a plethora of other causes to celebrate. 
However, what June is often linked to is weddings. It seems that June is a month associated with couples entering into a life-long commitment with each other. Perhaps it is the ambiance of June that warrants it, but for some rea-son or another, June weddings have been in vogue for quite some time. Such weddings are a joy to behold. Watch-ing the look on a groom’s face as he sees his bride walking down the aisle in her wedding regalia. Often the look is a mixture of “wow she looks wonderful” to “How in the world did I manage to get her to marry me?” and the joys of married bliss begin. But for how long? One often hears of couples that claim that the “spark” in their marriage has faded. Life at times seems to get in the way; kids come along; and the responsibilities of being mom and dad, providing an income for the family, bills, and other responsibilities hamper the bliss felt on our wedding day. Then come hurtful comments like “you never say you love me anymore”; “you take me for granted”, etc. 
When and if those comments are heard, we can relate to Jesus words to the church at Ephesus; “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev 2:4 ESV) As couples, a proven strategy to help keep that spark alive is date night. It is a time set aside when couples make an effort to set the distractions of life aside for a little while and simply focus on the joy of being man and wife. Such dates help each partner keep the reason why they married the other in the forefront of their minds. When there are funds available, couples share a meal at a restaurant or that “special place” many couples seem to have. If money is tight, a walk in the park or window shopping downtown while holding hands. Sometimes it may even be grocery shopping or doing the sample buffet at Costco. The main point is to spend time together. Many couples that I know make a practice of a date night at least a couple of times a month although I believe once a week is best. We, the church, are also called the bride of Christ. We are also involved in an intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior that began when we proclaimed Him to be the Lord of our lives. How do we keep that spark alive? What does our date night with Jesus consist of? I can think of at least two things. One is prayer. Prayer is conversation with Christ in which we open our heart and bare it before Him. It is also a time when we are still and listen for His input into our lives. Like many husbands, I have been accused on more than one occasion of not listening. I believe that Jesus could accuse us of the same thing. Sometimes our prayers are more akin to jabbering and bemoaning the plights in our life and we don’t take a moment to listen. Prayer is communication and communication involves speaking and listening. The other way to go on a date with Christ is to open and read God’s Word on a daily basis. Regardless of how long couples have been married, their relationship deepens the more they spend time with one another. Reading God’s Word helps deepen our intimacy with Christ as we know Him more. I encourage you to make date nights with Jesus a regular part of your life. 

​May you have a glorious June, 
Vic