valentine's day.

One Thursday night, my friend Julia shared with me a vision she had. After listening to the story she shared, I  knew that there are people in our generation who feel the same way. We all have an ideal person in our mind, whether it be a guy in suit and tie, or a lady whose smile is as sweet as sugar. However, there's a Lover who is pursuing us so relentlessly and with such a tantalizing romance if only we let Him.

This is a description of the vision Julia had, in her own words:

Jesus shows up to the door, and instead of a single rose, He offers me His hand, stretches it wide open and says, "Come." His hand is what He gives me, He looks at me and says, "I am your Bridegroom; we are one. Think of that. We are one. When my blood was dripping from the cross, I was thinking of you." And joy bubbles up inside me. He takes my hand, the Creator of the universe takes my hand, my hand, pulls me in close and starts to dance. We dance and smile; it is real, and He is close. He looks up to the clouds, and is reminded of a time when the heavens opened and His Father spoke to Him. I get to know Him better and even though he already knows everything about me, He loves hearing my story, my life. He is never surprised, and never judges. Simply, he takes His sacred hands, puts them on my shoulders, looks me in the eyes, and says, "You are forgiven. You are healed. You are loved. I love you, I love you. I want to talk to you all the time. All the time, I want to be with you. Don't listen to them; listen to me, listen. Be still, my child, I have much to tell you. I love you. I love you." And that rose, that rose that I dreamed about all my life from that perfect prince, falls away. I forget about that rose, because this gift is so much greater. This outstretched hand is a hand that felt pain, that endured great sacrifice simply to be close to me. So he could dance with me. Fullness in love lays here in his hands; in no one else will there be fullness of love. Only Jesus. Remember this, remember.

On Valentine's Day, Julia, her friend David, and I got together to translate her dream into photographs.