For our first wedding anniversary I asked my husband what he wanted to do. Not being a planner he left it for me to plan a trip. I decided we’d go Mendocino for a few days. Mendocino, if you’ve never been, is a beautiful place here in California on the northern coast. We chose a beautiful hotel called Little River Inn and I booked our room in Coombs Cottage for a few nights and made reservations for a romantic dinner the night of our arrival. Our first anniversary fell on a Sunday so I told my husband we’d have to leave immediately after church to get there in time for our dinner. I even suggested he pack on Friday and Saturday to be ready to go. I got the babysitter here at the house at noon and was ready to go!

My husband unfortunately, was not ready to go as he had not packed and was not ready to go at all. He said, “Give me an hour and we’ll be out of here!” No problem even if we leave by 1-1:30 we’ll make it for our special dinner. 1:00 rolls around, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and my romantic dinner is history and since cancellation had to be made 24 hours in advance I am stuck paying for a dinner we will never get to eat. I am pretty mad at this point and I am lying on the bed reading a book. He on the other hand, is checking his email, talking on the phone, packing and just hanging out. He is making it very obvious he could care less if he goes or stays.

I fall asleep around 6ish while reading a book when the Lord wakes me up with a question. He says, “Do you love your husband?” Thinking he’s got to be kidding I answer, “Right this moment?” He replies, “Yes, right now do you love him?” “Yes, though I am totally frustrated with him. He didn’t help me plan this and so now he is being passive aggressive and all my plans are out the window, some first wedding anniversary.” The Lord said, “Why do you love him?” I answer, “I don’t know, because I’m a glutton for punishment? I don’t know. I can’t think why right now.” His gentle voice responds, “In the same way that you love him, I love you even when you miss a deadline, or frustrate me or disappoint me. I take great delight in you because you are irresistible to me, inexplicably irresistible.” “Thanks, I love you too”, I answered. Still hopeful for some sort of revenge I ask, “Can you just zap him now to show me how much you love me?” Silence “Okay, just kidding. Thanks for the reminder.”

We ended up only staying one night. It was beautiful though, the waves of the Pacific ocean out the french doors in the front of our cabin and a beautiful forest and golf course was the view out of the back of the cottage. We played golf the day we were there and ate a nice meal in a local restaurant and came home. My plans had been about a few days of fun and relaxation but plans change. It was disappointing, not the wedding anniversary I had envisioned but I still love him anyway.

These are just the details of a story that happened a long time ago, but the bigger picture is that God loves you in such a beautiful way. Just as a woman loves a man, just as a parent loves their child. You are inexplicably irresistible to the Lord, and he sees you with eyes of great delight and joy. He finds you enchanting. Even when you frustrate his most carefully laid out plans.