thehypocrite

When two kind souls meet, it is no forgone conclusion that they will connect and build a life. But when it does manage to spark and the forrest fire of life together is started, we are the lucky ones to feel it’s warmth and stand by amazed at the all-consuming nature that true love has.

True love, after all, is selflessly selfish, always thinking of the other, never self and in doing so, the self is ever cared for. In the west, we talk of love as being a thing we fall into or somehow into which we become entangled… but true love, souls who mate and become one… do not fail, and it is is no accident that they succeed. Hard work and revision, determination to advance and find peace are a mission true lovers pursue all their life. A failure is not a setback, but an opportunity improve and deepen the connection, becoming one flesh one kind word and moment of forgiveness at a time.

Peace and contentment are not the possession of all men, nor hardly any these days. But from time to time, when you walk in the woods of life, quietly contemplating your own state of success and failure, you catch the warm glow from a newly started campfire destined to become a blazing inferno of love consuming two souls whole.

Her I met on a Wednesday evening more than 25 years ago as she sat in a wood-paneled room, staring at a glass of milk—her arch nemesis. A hill she would die on every night for 45 or more minutes, with an unbreakable will. She never did learn to like milk. I still see that little girl under the dartboard in a chocolate chip house where books, music, and dance were the television of their lives. There is no doubt in my mind that this was a major contributing factor to her and her siblings all scoring at the top of their classes and qualifying for full academic scholarships. This sister rejected higher education, choosing instead a life of serving others.

This led her around the world and up and down the Eastern Seaboard as she worked in construction and teaching, going on to learn not only Spanish but also American Sign Language.

He I came to know much later, already a fully formed human, through the family. From the start, I framed him through the lens of Louisa May Alcott's *Little Women*: he, knowing he would always be part of the family, despising any lovers the girls took who were not him. My first memory of this man is at a dinner party sometime in the early 2000s. Always a humble and eager soul, ready to laugh. He is also in possession of a nearly supernatural appreciation of music and musicians.

A handsome couple, warm and hospitable, ready to give of themselves when the need presents. As they begin their fourth year together, I recall that exciting and challenging time of life when everything is new and thrilling. Marriage suits the two of them well as they both stay focused on a relationship with the Creator first. This makes the conflict and difficulty of adjusting to life with a new human much easier. The spiritual armor the apostle Paul speaks of in the Bible book of Ephesians is as useful for friends and lovers as it is for enemies. They are working now to help others learn about God’s word. When last we visited these two fine humans, I fell in love with their home. Mike was eager to share stories of his crazy neighbors as we sat in their study, with walls of books from floor to ceiling. They are darlings. They love their God and have eschewed the trappings of education and career so they could be free to pursue full-time volunteer work.

Our first, and most heart-breaking, wedding of the pandemic, because we could not be there in person. The gathering was in a beautiful park in North Carolina on June 21, 2020. I pray our friendship encourages them to pursue the best life possible. It is impossible to understand how beautiful we are when young—a state made even more appealing by the glow of love and kindness that emits from their hearts.

Some call it “peas in a pod,” others refer to a well-matched pair as “soulmates”; regardless, the reality is two humans determined to celebrate the union designed by the Creator to bring the most satisfaction through hard work and patience. This couple will be an inspiration to us all.