What Is Covenant? and.. I Propose!
March 03, 2014
I’m picking up from last Monday… It’s all about a wedding.
My friends, our relationships are about covenant. It’s about having a family. Covenant relationship - is our unity. Jesus desires the unity of believers.
John 17: Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
The unity of the Body is the death blow to the enemy. That is why the devil works so hard to destroy family, marriages, and relationships with in His Church (The Bride).
So how do we live in covenant? What is covenant? With whom do we make covenant?
I have been on a discovery journey seeking answers to these questions. And just as I’m asking God about covenant and I’m thinking of only my covenant with Him and the covenant of marriage, I heard God clearly say to me, “You need to be in covenant with Dineen.”
Say What? Marry Dineen Miller????
Ahem.
Weird!!
I started to ponder these words that God gave me. And I absolutely believe that God spoke this word to me as He knew the devil would try to come between the two of us and destroy our relationship. And I have a lot to tell you because the devil did exactly that. But before we get to that saga, I want to bring you into an amazing love story that some of you have probably heard before and I’m thinking many of you haven’t.
Now please don’t think this is a weird story but it’s truly a joining of two lives through the love and wisdom of our Great God. Here is our beginning history for those of you who don’t know it.
Lynn & Dineen.
In May, 2006 I was just in the discovery stage of this “writing thing.” For some bazaar reason God placed a curiosity in my head about sharing my story of overcoming the many challenges of living in a marriage with a pre-believer. I wanted to help those on the journey behind me.
I didn’t ever consider myself a “true” writer but I LOVE stories. I love to hear stories. I love to tell stories. It’s no wonder I love the Bible. It’s filled with the best stories. So, with great fear and trembling I found myself at a Writer’s Conference trying to figure out this whole writing thing. It was at that conference that I sat at a table with a group of ladies and they were discussing blogging. Say what? What is blogging? Well as I sat there at the table it’s one of the first times I heard with absolute clarity the voice of God. He said, “You are going to do this. You are going to do this.” I whispered to myself, “I’m going to do this.” I went home. And in minutes the blog…… Spiritually Unequal Marriage was born.
Ta Da!
Dineen was one of my first readers thanks to Camy Tang who was one of the women at the table encouraging me to become a blogger. She connected us. Dineen’s heart was stirred at the same time to write about living unequally yoked. She offered to help me blog. I said, “I need help. Come on aboard.”
We wrote for the next four years together. We had never met face-to-face. Only once at a conference in her city where I met her for less than two minutes. Time to hug her neck and snap a photo.
We were born to be together and I know many of you have heard me declare that Dineen is my Jerry McGuire. She completes me. She is the voice of “slow down” when I want to rush. She is thorough when I’m “Big Picture.” She is calm. I’m crazed. She is tall. I’m short. Brunette, I’m blonde. She has a good memory. Me not so much.
And I complete her. I’m fearless, she is shy. I’m will get us into crazy adventures. She’s always willing to follow. I will pray down heaven. She ushers love and compassion to people. We make such a unique team that I get all teary with eternal thankfulness for our partnership.
We worked with love in our hearts for all of you, for our God and for each other in the early years of our ministry. And you know what? We still do. That is the absolute priority and joy for us. You, God and each other.
We completed our first manuscript, Winning Him Without Words, in 2010. And it was August of that year that Dineen and I would, for the first time, spend a few days together as we needed to meet with our publisher prior to printing. So, four years into our amazing friendship, we met. I picked her up from the airport. It could have been weird. Awkward. But no. Gang, we just picked right up where we left of in our phone conversations and it’s been an amazing friendship. A friendship with a woman I never knew I was capable of experiencing, or giving or receiving. Wow! Our God is like that. He shows me so many things I didn’t think were possible.
Okay, I have so much more to tell you about this but this post is already almost a 1,000 words long. Sheesh! So up next…..
I propose to Dineen Miller….. (good grief. I can’t even believe I just typed that *grin*)
Sheesh! This story is getting weirder by the minute. But I promise you will want to hear how this plays out.
For today, my friends, I know that we spend a lot of time in this House discussion our marriage relationships. And we should as they are critical and oh, so very important. But I also think we need to consider the friendship God has given us. I know my friendships with other Godly women were vital in the early years of my marriage. I needed friends to fill in the loneliness. I needed friends to help me learn about Jesus. I needed significant friendships to share my struggles and hopes.
So today, I ask you to consider a few significant friendships God has placed in your life at key periods of time and especially today. Who are they? Why are they in your life? Do you see God in this relationship? Is it a relationship that is eternal? Is it covenant worthy? Give thanks today for those who are covenant worthy. Call them and thank them. Send them a card in the “real” mail. Let them know how they were used by God to help you when you needed it most.
Please hear me now. I truly, with every fiber of my being, love you my SUMites. Many have come and gone through this house over the years and I have loved each of you. I have carried your burdens, your tears, your hope and your triumphs in my heart with love and trembling. I have prayed with power and love for you. I enter into a love relationship with you and I long for the day we meet…… face-to-face. I long for the thousands of years we will stand next to one another in worship before the throne.
Have an amazing week, your covenant sister in Christ. Lynn
In the comments, please tell me about one person in your life you feel has shared covenant love with you. See you in the comments. I will be praying with you today too.