belief

"Belief builds from scratch.
Doesn't have to relax, it doesn't need space.
Long live the queen and I'll be the king.
In the collar of grace.

Oh, tonight, you arrested my mind.
When you came to my defense.
With a knife in the shape of your mouth,
in the form of your body, with the wrath of a god.
Oh, you stood by me."
-gavin degraw

i'm such the girl - but i've had this song in my head for weeks. each time it comes on pandora i get excited to hear it. there's something in me that wants to be able to fight for someone, to come to their defense, not necessarily because they cannot defend themselves, but because i love them and don't ever want them to think that they're alone for a minute.

i find it interesting and intriguing to see how fierce a woman can really be - not fierce as in mean, but fierce as intense, passionate, and deep. take a wife - she's fragile, treated as the weaker partner, her heart's desire is to be protected, sheltered, cared for and cherished by her husband. take a wife who's after the Lord's heart - who's submissive to her husband, who encourages and builds him up, who respects him, loves him with faith, and recognizes that she is his. take that wife and unjustly accuse her husband of something, and you see if she doesn't fiercely defend him.

it's not a harsh, cruel, mean, defensive, sinning-in-anger defense - it's being quick to "speak the truth in love," to affirm him and build him up whether he is present or not. it's not forsaking honesty or ignoring his shortcomings or failures - it's recognizing slander, unreasonable criticism, malice, and discouragement and counteracting those things with love, honest, encouragement, grace, and gentleness.

that's just the picture i get in my head anyways. i know so little about relationships - but in my head a woman affirming her husband's identity in Christ - affirming who he is, why he is, and reminding him that he's loved deeply is a beautiful picture. the opposite could barely be called a marraige.

<3