“Wherever you go, whatever you do. I will be right here waiting for you.” These are the words of a love song I grew up listening to by Richard Marx.  It’s a great love song. The idea that we would never be abandoned, that there would always be someone waiting for us, right there just for us is a comforting thought. Truthfully, it’s a deep need and desire for all people to have that someone. A desire for companionship. 

Realistically, we know that a human would never be able to keep the promise made in the song. Time and time again people will fail us. Even if they wanted to or had the ability to live forever, which no one does, could they really be with us wherever we go and whatever we do. No, it is not possible to think someone could always be faithful and never fail. “To be human is to err” – not just a famous phrase but true as well. Humans fail, we fail each other, we fail ourselves, we fail. We often have the best intentions in mind, but we lack the follow through. Thereby disappointing others and often times ourselves.  Yet in our hearts there is a deep desire for this recognition, this unfailing love.  We all want our soul’s true love, a faithful companion. But we look to the wrong place to try to find this love, we look to other humans.  Instead, we find despair or disappointed all to often. This leaves many of us feeling that this deep desire, this deep need in us will never be fulfilled, never satisfied.

We shake our fist at heaven, angry over unmet desires and needs, distraught because of the unrealized longing we have for this faithful companion. Sometimes, in our disappointment, we react. I know you have seen it. The “I don’t need anyone attitude” that people can get. So tired of disappointment that a person decides to just give up on other people and depend only on themselves. We have pins that say I’m enough. This idea that I can do it all on my own, provide all I need and meet my own desires is not realistic. It doesn’t work.  Sure, you can meet your physical needs, and most of the others, but this deep desire for a faithful companion can never be met by yourself because it requires someone else. It almost seems cruel that we would need others when we know that they will fail us.

Is God setting us up for unmet needs, for failure? Is God being cruel to mankind? No, God is not cruel.  You see it is not an impossible need, or an unquenchable. How is this? With God! I always love that when God steps in the impossible goes away and only he remains. Through him our need is met, by his provision and care of us he proves to be the faithful companion we are all seeking. He placed this need for himself inside of us, a place just for him and him alone. He can fill this spot, he will not fail, he has promised wherever we go, whatever we do, that he is right there waiting for us, loving us. Whatever it takes – his son’s death, continuing to reach out to us, no matter how long it takes, or how his heart has been broken for us.  He is right there waiting for you and for me. That’s our Lord. He created us with this desire for himself and it was a desire that he could meet.

Why would he do this? It’s simple, he longs for us also. He created us to be his companions. It’s not a one-sided desire. He doesn’t need us, but he wants us. And think of all it costs him. How often do we disappoint God and break his heart, yet he still chooses us. He chooses first and we have only ever been a disappointment, yet he continues to pursue us. At least when we choose him, we get the unfailing love and faithful companion that we could never truly give back, though we may try. 

There is one thing more to consider. There will be a time, a day, when in the fullness of time God will bring us all home to himself, and he’ll stop waiting. The offer is for eternal life, it is not an eternal offer. He clearly said judgment day will come, the day we will be free from the parts of ourselves that need to be burned away. Our corrupted will be transformed into incorruptible, our physical separation from the true lover of our soul will finally end. He will stop what has been and begin forever as he intended it to be, he and us together forever.

He even speaks of that day as a wedding supper, our perfect union with the Lord will be realized. No more disappointment, no more heartache. Our hearts made whole, no more missing parts or piece.  Think of it like this, we are a puzzle with a missing piece. We try to fit everything in it in this life, we know it’s wrong, it’s obvious it’s incomplete and other things seem like close matches because they seem to reflect what that missing pieces is, but they are not that piece. We spend our lives getting closer and closer, we will truly never be complete, not here on this side of heaven. So, we need to have faith, in our faithful companion and only look to him. Sure, the other loves and joys from relationships are great, and their benefits that add to our life, but they were never meant to be our life, neither can they be. They are not what is missing in our hearts. The good news is the love song is true-it has been sung to you by a God who loved you first, who is a faithful tenacious companion no matter what, where, how, he is right there waiting for you. Don’t wait too long, too late, don’t miss your bridegroom when he comes from you.