You are Worth Pursuing

I woke up this morning a bit nostalgic and as I drove to work one of my favorite songs came on.  The sad lyrics of Vicente Fernandez and Angelica Maria accompanied by Mariachi music transported me to a time when I was full of pride.  My pride was so great that if a person hurt me once I kicked them right out of my life.  My Brother in Heaven used to tell me that I had a very difficult personality and that if I didn’t change I was destined for a life of suffering and loneliness.  “Yo Quiero,” was an anthem to the way I loved- at first the song begins with beautiful words, but towards the middle it takes a turn – the lover tells the beloved that she will not stand for “limosnas de un cariño” (for a alms of affection) that if he won’t love her completely than he can depart because she won’t force him to love her nor will she stand for his (love) charity.  It ends with her telling him that she has lost people she’s loved more so he leaving won’t destroy her.  Wow! Lyrically I still love this song and it hits me every time I listen to it.  Before I thought it was full of pride because the lover won’t settle for mediocre love, and she tells him that she would rather lose him than accept his leftovers…

Pictures from a fundraising event for the animal shelter I am volunteering at.

Now looking at it from my current spiritual state I realize that God teaches us to not settle for crumbs in love.  He asks us to love Him above all and completely.  He encourages us to not be lukewarm- but either hot or cold.  In matters of love you either love the person or you don’t- anything in the middle is unacceptable and extremely painful.  Yet, love begins with us giving our hearts to God and from there no matter how heartbreaking our human love stories conclude we will not shatter nor fall apart because God above all has our hearts.  The other day I saw a quote on a friends Facebook wall and it said, “Never let a man tell you, you are not worth pursuing.  For God became man, died and rose again just to pursue you.  You are worth pursuing, you are beautiful, you are loved.”  In Jesus we have examples of His complete commitment to humankind – being God, He became one of us.  While He walked on earth, Jesus gave completely of Himself- through example He gave the most powerful witness of love. 

As the Chente duet goes- don’t settle for bits of love from someone who isn’t ready or doesn’t want to give of himself completely.  Press on, knowing that if God has your heart in His keeping- these pangs of unrequited love will soon heal.