a love like the King's

For weeks, perhaps even months on end now, I've been obsessed with country music, and George Strait in particular.  You see, unlike a lot of girls, I don't think my ideas of loved were biased by princess movies growing up (though they certainly had an effect on me).  Rather, I was influenced by country songs - tales of falling in love under the stars, love that would last forever, the things a guy would do just to see me smile, the list goes on.

Recently I've been struck the love George Strait sings about.  Granted, its not in all of his songs but the few that I've been playing on repeat are the kind of love my heart is seeking.  So instead of an epic detail about the love George Strait sings about (he's only had like a bazillion songs that he's recorded...), I'll pick on just a few that show quite well the love that my heart is after.

"The Man in Love With You"
"I may not even be the dream you wanted to come true, but I'll always be the man in love with you."  Seriously?!  I want a man who will sing to me that he will ALWAYS be in love with me, even if he isn't the dream I want to come true - a man so devoted to and in love with me that even though he knows his love isn't "the key that will open every door" he will still be in love with me.  And yet at the same time George sings, "but no one else could be as good as me at loving you."  He knows his love won't open every door but he has the confidence that no one else could love me as well as he can.  "Remember that there's someone there whose heart is always true, someone there to help you make it through, I'll always be the man in love with you."  I want a man whose heart is always true, someone who will be there to help me make it through whatever life's challenges throw at me.  I want a man who will always be in love with me.

"I Cross My Heart"
"Our love is unconditional" - Who wouldn't want a love that is unconditional?  A love that is not based on what the other person gets in return, but a love for love's sake, a love that is pure and true.  There's not a person I know that doesn't want a love like that.  "I cross my heart and promise to give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true."  A promise, a real promise (which sounds so much more genuine when put with George Strait's voice and an awesome musical background) to give, to serve me that my dreams would come true.  A man who is willing to give in such a way that he wants my dreams to come true no matter what it takes, that's a love that I want to find!  "And if along the way we find a day it starts to storm, you've got the promise of my love to keep you warm."  A love that is unconditional, a love that doesn't walk away when the storms come blowing in, but rather promises to love me even more, how could a girl not want a love like that?

"My Infinite Love"
"Forever by your side...it'll be me and my infinite love for you."  This song (in case you've never heard it) is just a slow, calming kind of song.  Its the kind of song that you can slow dance to and you just sway with who ever you are dancing with and you don't really care about the steps you should be taking, you sway and you get lost in their arms.  You get lost, not only in their arms, but in the words of the song, a love that is forever by your side, not in front of you, not overpowering you, not behind you making you take the lead, but by your side forever, and by your side with an infinite love no less.  How amazing is that?

Who wouldn't want a love like the love George sings about?  He is, after all, the King of Country, he knows what he's singing about.  The more I thought about this kind of love, the more I realized that I already have it and I have it from the King.  No, I'm not having an affair with George Strait!  I have this love from the King of Kings, Jesus Himself.  Jesus, like George sings about, is the Man that is always in love with me.  He reminds me that "there's someone there whose heart is always true, someone there to help you make it through" - He is there.

Jesus' love is unconditional.  He crosses (CROSSES) His heart and promises to give all (because He already has and continues to) that He has to give to make all my dreams come true.  Then George sings "in all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine" - that's Jesus speaking to my heart.  In all the world, try as I may (and I have tried!) I will never find a love as true as His.

Jesus' love is infinite.  The chorus of that song is so perfectly Jesus speaking to each one of us: "It'll be me and my infinite love for you, its just like I promised you, under heaven above.  It will live on long after we've kissed goodbye, forever by your side, my infinite love."  Its just like He promises us over and over again in Scripture and in prayer - His love will (and does) live on long after He ascended, He is FOREVER by our sides with His infinite love.  We are His infinite love.

I love George Strait and I want a love like the king of country sings about...and I have that love from the King Himself.  Truly, "in all the world, you'll never find a love as true as Mine" - Jesus.