Be Thou My Vision

(I actually wrote this back in January... just never posted it.)

Be Thou My Vision is quite possibly the most beautiful song I've ever heard.

Ever.

It does something to me. Music is an easy trigger for me already, but when I listen to this particular song and really sing it, it's—transformational. It's so dramatically beautiful, so intensely personal and passionate and powerful. It's like switching from black and white to color, from an 8trak to an mp3, from McDonalds to Ruth Chris Steakhouse. It strips my relationship with God to its core, divulging the authenticity of our bond; it's proof that He's no lofty, distant father, trying to connect to his stubborn daughter who's trying to figure out life by deciphering His occasional whispers.

No, no-- it is a perfect and passionate epic love story. It may have been originally penned by a man, but it begins with passionate intensity; with the fiery ardor of a young woman who has just been found by the man she's been waiting for her entire life—and she's only seventeen. He is her first and only true love, the very center of her heart and her entire romantic world. She is thrilled by his every word, illuminated by his very presence. Her attention is entirely devoted to him. She covets his affection as if she would die without it and in fact, there is no room in her heart for anything but him. That kind of ardency builds in my heart for God as I sing this. And the intensity increases more with every verse.

(read this slowly)

Be Thou My Vision, oh Lord of my Heart,
Naught be all else to me—save that Thou art!
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Do you feel it? How she's SO incredibly into Him, can't take her eyes from Him, eats up His every word, His every breath. There's such respect, such devotion, such unbridled joy as a result of their relationship. She's so comfortable in His love for her that she makes her affection for Him overwhelmingly, abundantly clear. And it continues, evolving into an even more confident realization of belonging.

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word
I ever with thee, and Thou with me, Lord!
Thou my Great Father, and I thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

And now, now she's freakin sold out. For her, there is only Him. He is her sole reason for living. It breaks my own heart that that kind of devotion sounds so ridiculous to me. Because what generally happens when you allow yourself to get that attached to someone? They leave you. They totally let you down and abandon you.

But this is a different story. He has become her everything-- but He's still around. And by some miracle, He's not going anywhere. And that security births within her an otherworldly confidence, a supernatural comfort and strength. She has been claimed eternally. Wow, wow, wow. Unbelievable. Maybe it's different for guys, but ladies, come on—do you not yearn to be eternally claimed?! And I mean it in the freest sense of the word; no chains, no contracts, no "TOKEN SIDEKICK" stamp on your forehead—just a fierce and undying love that will always protect you, always defend you, always involve you in the adventure, always have your best interests at heart and never, never leave?!?!

That's what she's found in Him. That's what she's living. He has never left her, never let her down. I can only imagine the kind of character that's produced by being marinated in a love like that for years and years. Good God, what a woman I would be.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always!
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

You can just feel the security, the stability, the unshakable confidence that she is absolutely content in the love of her Lover, and probably absolutely dysfunctional without Him. Fortunately, she never has to be without Him-- not now, not ever. Because by the last verse, she's reaching the end of life, and she's still as devoted as ever. Her raging, mad passion for him has turned to a steady eternal flame; faithful, true, constant and still as ardent as ever. The love is now mature, old and seasoned and impenetrable. It's that ancient couple you see sitting on a bench holding hands in the park. It's a sublimely peaceful life moment, a joyful anticipation of heaven and a sense of completion, of peace with the course of your entire well-purposed life. What a way to go, what a legacy to leave.

High King of Heaven, my victories won,
May I reach heavens joys, bright heaven's sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh Ruler of All.

God, I want this. I covet all of it with my deepest heart. To bow before you, like Arwen before Aragorn, and to have you lift my chin back up to meet your gaze, unwilling to be parted from my countenance, unwilling to be away from my side. Love me like that, God. And teach me to be a queen who is eternally infatuated with her King.