ALWAYS

Remember at the end of my last post how I mentioned that, looking back on my DNotS, and looking forward from there, I realized that God's love would never change and that He would always be there for me? As soon as that happened, I started to realize a similar theme in some of my favorite fictional love stories (or love shipping, in the case of Lily/Snape). I noticed the same word popping up in all of their most tender moments...

(click to enlarge)

Prince Charming, Westley, and Severus Snape all say that one word with such passionate love that I (and I'm sure other girls everywhere) just want to melt into a little puddle of gratified tears. It's moments like those in which the hero proves to his heroine without a shadow of a doubt that NOTHING in the universe could stop him from being with her, even if it could only be in spirit. And nothing could ever keep him from loving her with ALL of his heart and soul, no matter what circumstance lay between them. Snow White and Prince Charming had no idea who they were when the evil queen cursed them - but no matter what, he ALWAYS found her. Buttercup thought that Westley was dead upon multiple occasions - but despite the distance between them (and even being mostly dead that one time), he ALWAYS came for her. Lily died before she and Severus could be reconciled - but even after her death, he ALWAYS loved her. That one word draws out the deepest longing in all of our hearts... to be loved eternally, unconditionally, fully. Sometimes it seems like an impossible dream, that none of us could ever deserve or obtain that level of love; or if even if we did find that love for a moment, surely that powerful of love would eventually fade away and become commonplace affinity in the end. Yet we so often forget that not only can that type of "always" love be attained... we already ARE loved like that! And not by a fallible and mortal hero (no matter how handsome, they all do something stupid or die eventually), but by the infallible, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent creator, sustainer, and lord of the entire universe. WOW. In fact, despite all of our failings and shortcomings, "[i]n all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39, ESV) 

That sounds like a pretty unstoppable love right there. And to think that it is meant for you and me! "For God so loved the world"... amazing. And just in case you doubt that God ever said that special phrase which I have so doted on in the above geekdom, check out the last words of Jesus' Great Commission...

"And behold, I am with you ALWAYS, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b, ESV)