An eighteen-year-old Taylor University freshman captured my attention, then my heart, and then my mind. I was wowed by Mary Cargo, and in late spring of 1975 I looked into her blue eyes and proclaimed the depth of my feelings. "I love you."
My heart raced, my palms were wet, and my tongue felt as though it had just run a marathon.
Then… silence. No response.
I had hit a forehand volley, and there was no return. Which begs the question; was this a declaration or a survey?
Mary’s patience was authentic.
Her reply, which was quietly loud and clear, was that she wasn’t in love. Not yet.
I had gone first… rightly so. But silence didn’t translate into a final answer. I wasn’t about to give up. I pursued. Sometimes brilliantly, and sometimes awkwardly. And yes, I learned a tremendous amount in the process. About myself, about my girl, and ultimately about my God.
"We love because he first loved us." ~ 1 John 4:19
God went first. He had to.
God committed while I was still wandering. He declared while I ignored. He pursued while I drifted in uncertainty.
There was a day when Mary Cargo said it. And when she did, she meant it. On that day… celebration. Not in conquest, but in unity.
"…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…"
God was first.
In the garden. In Bethlehem. On Calvary. In victory.
This is why we must pursue. To love unselfishly. To dream redemptively. To believe faithfully.
"For God so loved the world…"
First, into the silence. The ultimate declaration.
"I made you. I love you. I haven’t given up on you. There isn’t anywhere that you can run where I won’t pursue you."
God taught us love; now, it’s our turn.
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