As he stared at the escalator, the grin that had been on his face all day widened to a full-blown beam. The excited man, typically a somewhat emotionally reserved kind of guy, ran up the down escalator! I love this story because it illustrates the joyful abandon, the wild, silly happiness of that moment in the groom’s life. Someday, I’m going to write it into a novel. I figure I have the right to use the story because the bridegroom himself told me about it. You see, that crazy guy running the wrong way on those revolving stairs, was my husband, who pulled that stunt almost exactly 17 years ago. When I think of Isaiah 62:5, I sense the same excited, breathless joy in our God. Jesus didn’t call us His bride for nothing! He wants us to get a picture of His love, His great delight, His joyful delight in being with us. “ . . . as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5b Remember when you first fell in love? If you’re like me you couldn’t wait to be with the person you adored. You talked on the phone way too many hours, lingered over every meal out together, and thought about each other when apart. It blows me away to realize that’s how Jesus feels about us. He wants to linger over our special times together, He wants talk with us all the time, and when we’re not talking, His thoughts are still on us. Jesus, I can hardly believe you love me with such breathless joy. I’m amazed that Your thoughts are on me and struggle to grasp that You actually delight in me. But no matter how hard it is for me to wrap my mind around, I am so thrilled it is true. Thank You for choosing me. Help me to accept the truth that You love me like a groom loves his bride. December 5, 2005