Thursday, June 26, 2025

Where Is the Love You Said Was Mine All Mine?

 

rivener  -  n. a chilling hint of distance that creeps slowly into a relationship -- beginning to notice them laugh a little less, look away a little more, explain away their mood like it's no longer your business -- as if you're watching them fall out of love right in front of you, gradually and painfully, like a hole in the radiator that leaves your house a little colder with every passing day, whose only clue is a slow, unnerving drip - drip - drip. [Middle English riven, to rend, to cleave apart. Pronounced "riv-uh-ner."] (From John Koenig's The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows)


Is it possible to experience riveners in my relationship with Jesus? Can I be on the lookout for signs that my love is growing cold?

  • Dust on my Bible
  • Mumbling through songs I used to belt out
  • Posting the praying hands emoji and considering it the equivalent of praying for someone
  • Being satisfied with watching worship services online instead of actually attending and interacting with people who I once thought of as my brothers and sisters in Christ, but who are now just people who go to my church

It brings to mind the song by the seminal Jesus Music artist, Chuck Girard, "Return to Your First Love."

You say it's different now, then how it was before
You do your best, but you don't feel it anymore
What happened to the days when your life just seemed to flow
Miracles were happening wherever you would go

You tried so hard it seems to do the righteous thing
But oh, the trials that came and the shadows it would bring
You went to meetings and you'd be the first to pray
You even spoke a prophecy, was only yesterday

But something's wrong, something's wrong with you
Though you tried your best, the Lord just didn't bless
You're wondrin' what to do
Return to your first love, put Jesus first again
The love in your heart you had when you first started
Could be there again
Return to your first love

You say you told your friends the things they're doin' wrong
You had a leading, yes, you felt it oh so strong
They looked so hurt, I guess they didn't understand
Since then, your counseling has not been in demand

You tried to give advice, but found you were ignored
But even though they scoffed, you still said
"Praise the Lord anyway."
And you thought Christians were to be of one accord
Is there a dull edge on that double-edged sword?

No, no something's wrong, something's wrong with you
Though you tried your best, the Lord just didn't bless
You're wondrin' what to do
Return to your first love, put Jesus first again
The love in your heart you had when you first started
Could be there again
Return to your first love


*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...The words of Jesus in Revelation 2:2-5 (NLT): "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first. Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first."


No comments:

Post a Comment